The Thirteenth Key & The Regal Key
by kurisu313
Summary: In order to understand the secrets of Ophiuchus, Lucy and Levy travel to the capital city, Crocus. There, they find much more than they had bargained for. Will a certain pair of Dragon Slayers realize that they are needed and get there in time, and what does Igneel have to do with events? Follows on from 'Complicated Emotions'.
1. The Serpent and the Dragon

**The Thirteenth Key**

**Chapter 1**

**The Serpent and the Dragon**

The alarm clock rang. Lucy groaned and rolled over, slapping her hand down on the clock to arrest its insistent wailing. She yawned and stretched, noting as she did so that rain hammered down upon her roof and windows with great force.

She felt that familiar pang of yearning. The feeling that Natsu should be here with her. But she wasn't sure what to do about it. They were boyfriend and girlfriend in almost every way, but that last step into actually admitting it seemed like some unassailable hurdle to both of them.

However, during the events of a recent quest (**My fic, 'Complicated Emotions'**) Lucy was thrilled to see that Levy had finally managed to start a relationship with Gajeel. Now it seemed like the girl had two emotional states – the happiest thing alive, or the most stressed person in existence. The good thing is the first state was default, but Gajeel kept doing careless or stupid things. He must be a trying boyfriend in the extreme, Lucy thought wryly.

And hell was she jealous. She'd have traded the universe for having Natsu stress her out if he would keep her bed warm at night. She sighed deeply and went to take a shower. It was too early for such sad thoughts. She got dressed and went to make a bowl of cereal. As she sat at her table eating, she decided to use another problem to distract herself.

She took out her pouch with all of her celestial keys in them, laying them on the table one by one. Friends and comrades each and every one – well, maybe not Aquarius – people who she loved and trusted with all of her heart. Since the events of the grand magic games and the eclipse cannon, she'd been entrusted with Yukino's keys. Libra and Pisces had been valuable members of the team and completed the ecliptic zodiac.

But this…

The key of Ophiuchus sat on her table. It looked so like any other key save for the onyx snake winding around the shaft. But she had never been able to summon it. It had resisted her utterly. She hadn't a chance to talk to Yukino about it during their association and now it was too late. Frustrated, she picked up a key and summoned Virgo.

"Does princess require a better breakfast?" She asked as she appeared.

"Not now, Virgo. I wanted to know if you could tell me anything about Ophiuchus."

The maid spirit looked uncharacteristically shifty. "There is not much to say."

"Then it isn't a big deal to say it," Lucy countered. "Is Ophiuchus evil?"

"No spirit is evil, princess. All I am allowed to say is that Ophiuchus was banished from the presence of the king due to a…difference of opinion."

"A difference of opinion!?" Lucy replied, clearly startled. "He was banished for something so mundane?"

"A point the king could not allow to stand. A point that he could not give up. To sign a contract with Ophiuchus is now nigh impossible. He wishes to be alone in his banishment. I do not know what Miss Yukino did to summon him. Clearly, he found some kind of bond with her."

"He must be very sad," Lucy said in a low voice. "To be so alone."

"Princess is very kind. If anyone can reach the serpent, it will be you."

"What was this 'difference of opinion'?"

"That is a matter of celestial world law. I cannot say. Is that grounds for a punishment?"

"Your laws almost got Loke killed," Lucy growled. "I'd like to know more."

"I cannot say," Virgo repeated, and then vanished in a puff of smoke. Lucy felt irritable now. From her point of view, Ophiuchus was an abandoned nakama. Had what he'd done been so bad? She picked up the key and tried to commune with the spirit. But if he was listening, he wasn't responding.

"I want to know more," Lucy declared, standing. And she knew the exact person to talk to if she wanted information. If only she could pry her off of a certain dragon slayer.

**===][===**

"Lu-chan!" Levy blustered. "You won't believe what he did this time!"

"Something teasing that didn't consider your feelings at all?" Lucy guessed in a flat voice.

"Exactly! He bought me a hoodie with a kitty face on the hood because he thought it'd make me cute! Like I was just cute and nothing else!"

"You mean the one you're wearing right now?" Lucy asked, gesturing to the pale pink garment.

"I like it, it's cute." Levy seemed confused by the question. Lucy wondered how two people so tsundere managed not to kill one another. They were down in the guild library, Levy's personal sanctum. Apart from her only Fried and Lucy ever bothered to come down here. Most of the guild had no time for books when there was fighting to be done.

"Levy-chan, I was wondering if you had any books on the celestial world or the spirits."

Levy frowned. "Nothing that you haven't already read. It's a rare subject, and you've probably cornered the market in recent times. If you need a book on them, have you considered Horocruz? He had a library actually in the celestial world."

"They're not going to help me," Lucy said sadly. "I have to do this myself. If I want to consider myself their friend, I have to do this for Ophiuchus myself."

"Ophiuchus?" Levy asked. Lucy filled her in on the details of the morning and what she hoped to achieve. The smaller girl paced slightly, pondering the question. "I hate to admit it, but I don't have the largest collection of books in the world, but I have gathered all the celestial world literature in the area of Magnolia. Perhaps you should visit the Grand Librariam in Crocus?"

Crocus, the capital city of Fiore. It was certainly the largest collection of people in the country and the Grand Librariam was famous amongst those of a literary persuasion. It was the principal library in the country for sure. Levy had desperately wanted to visit it during the magic games, but events had conspired against that.

"Hmm, maybe I should. It'll be a bit of a travel, but I have to."

"When are we going to go?" Levy asked.

"We?"

"Of course! I wanna go and you want help, right?" Levy's eyes were shining brightly at the thought of the great library. It would be harder to get her _not _to go.

Lucy made a devilish expression with her eyes. "You sure that you can tear yourself away from that iron embrace?" She was rewarded as Levy went red like a tomato and began stammering. Lucy reached over her head to raise the kitty face hood. "You really are adorable!"

**===][===**

Later that same day, Natsu entered the guild with Happy floating over his shoulder. _At least the rain has cleared up_, he thought. Time to talk to Mira and get some dinner and a drink and-approximately two nanoseconds later he had a face full of headbutt.

"Salamander!" Gajeel yelled over Natsu's shout of pain. "We gotta go! Our girls have taken off without us!"

"Gajeel, slow down," Natsu demanded, touching his tender forehead. "Who's doing what?"

"Our girls have gone somewhere without us!" Gajeel stated forcefully.

"I don't have a girl," Natsu responded ruefully.

"Oh, of course! You and Lucy are just best friends who spend every waking moment together!" Gajeel spat sarcastically. "And you don't spend half your time sleeping in her apartment!"

"T-that's not like that!" Natsu stammered, pre-emptively clamping a hand over Happy's mouth. "And where have they gone exactly?"

"Mira said they went to Crocus to visit some library!"

"So? People go out on their own all the time," Natsu replied, forcing down some disappointment that Lucy had left without speaking to him first. "Whether to do missions or visit family or sightsee or whatever."

"B-but, aren't you worried about them!?" Gajeel shouted. He was overbearingly protective of Levy. The world was so big and she was so little! What if someone attacked her? What if a dog bit her? What if a meteorite landed on her?

"They're not on a mission," Natsu replied with a shrug. "So it's not dangerous. Anyway, Lucy can handle herself perfectly well. She doesn't need me running after her like some kind of lovesick puppy."

"Lovesick puppy?"

"I meant concerned guildmate!" Natsu shouted loudly, slugging Gajeel in the face to cover his embarrassment. The dragons responded well to the familiarity and lost their concerns in an aimless brawl, dragging most of the guild into it…until they knocked over Erza's cake.

As Wendy worked over their bloody carcasses in the basement, Gajeel turned to Natsu. "Mira said that they'd call the guild in a day or two after they get there. If there's no call by Thursday morning, I'm going out there."

"Fine. I'll go with you." _Lucy, it's not like you to just leave. Something must be bothering you. I wish that you'd come to me to help…but maybe it's been a bit awkward since we've grown so close. Is that my fault? I swear, if something happens to you, I will be there for you._

**===][===**

"We're going to have so much fun!" Levy thrilled. They sat in a train next to one another, watching the landscape roll by. "Just us two girls, in the big city! Isn't that every friend movie?"

"Sure! We'll have plenty of time to visit a few places! But, is there anything you'd rather see than the library?"

"Well…no," Levy admitted, "but we'll have to eat out and we'll pass by cool places that we can visit! I wanna visit a sushi bar and a maybe somewhere French! I don't think Gajeel would do well at a French restaurant."

"It was a good idea not to tell Natsu and Gajeel. They'd have definitely come, but this train ride is three hours long. They would have hated it."

"Hmph. Gajeel spends too much time worrying about me, he'd never even think about his motion sickness," Levy grumped, folding her arms dramatically.

"Heaven forefend that a boyfriend is worried about his girlfriend," Lucy replied, slyly reaching behind her head to flip her hood up again. For someone who claimed to hate it, it was amazing that she was still wearing it. "You might have to get used to Gajeel as the overprotective type. He is your dark knight, after all."

Lucy smiled. The best thing about Levy's relationship was just how easy it had become to make the small girl blush like a beetroot. Levy could not hide an emotion if her life depended on it.

"Oh? Has Natsu asked you out yet?" Levy retorted angrily. Lucy began to bluster, but Levy pressed on. "Come on, Lu-chan! You love each other, there's no reason not to!"

"I'm not sure that I want advice from you!" Lucy argued hotly.

"Take it from me then that I was stupid to wait for so long! But, you don't have my flaws! You're gorgeous! What man wouldn't want a woman like you?"

"Levy-chan, just shut up. It's not that easy."

"Natsu loves you, you know. He's just so used to friendship, of being close to people that he's not quite twigged that his connection to you is special." Levy was being quite insistent now. Lucy pushed the small girl back into her seat and flipped open a book. Levy sighed in defeat and copied her friend. Soon, she was lost in a happy literary world.

**===][===**

_Blood. There was so much blood. In a grand mansion lined with finery and wealth there was devastation. Two bodies lay amidst the destruction, crimson liquid staining them. One was Lucy, wracked with pain and trying to rouse the other. But Levy was not moving._

"_YOU FOOLS!"_

_Lucy looked up as flames consumed everything, an enormous shadow behind the flare. Amber irises glowed in the darkness, regarding them with such hate, such contempt. _

"_YOU DARED TO OPPOSE ME!?"_

_He roared in anger, quelling the flames and allowing a glimpse of his ruby scales and enormous wingspan. Lucy quailed before the mighty dragon, frightened beyond any rational comprehension._

"_I AM IGNEEL! AND YOU, YOU ARE DEAD!"_

_Fire began to blaze in his mouth, brighter and brighter, consuming all vision with whiteness._

Natsu awoke sharply, sitting up in his bed. He was sweating profusely, and used the back of his hand to mop his brow. The images of his dream were still vivid in his mind. It was Igneel, of that there was no doubt. But why would he attack Lucy and Levy? That made no sense!

It was just a dream, they don't make sense. That's all. Just a dream. He was worried about Lucy being away and had concocted some imaginary peril using people that he knew. Natsu lay back in his bed and tried to go to sleep. But no matter what he did, he couldn't shake the feeling of dread.

He wondered if Gajeel was having similar problems.

**===][===**

"Ah! You're choking me!" Lily cried, pushing Gajeel hard. The slayer awoke from his slumber and looked down at Lily, blinking blearily. "I know you're missing Levy, but do you really need to cuddle something to sleep!?"

"I-I, I'm fine. Sorry Lil, I was having a nightmare." Lily grunted at the apology and shifted over to his pillow. Damn his furry hide, but Gajeel was something of a big softy in the bedroom. Perhaps he did need something small and cute to sleep well.

He closed his eyes, trying to ward off the images in his nightmare.

But it was still there.

Enormous, ebon scales glistening in the darkness from an interminable light source.

A black serpent.

Lucy was there, powerless to stop it as it ate Levy whole.


	2. The Big City

**The Thirteenth Key**

**Chapter 2**

**The Big City**

"I am telling you, that being blonde is worse," Lucy argued. "Everyone assumes that you're stupid. Just because your hair is a certain colour! How dumb is that!?"

"At least you can dye your hair," Levy countered. "Being short is much worse. Everyone thinks I'm a child. You know how people pitch their voices up when talking to kids or animals? Happens to me all the damn time."

"Maybe if you didn't dress so cute," Lucy mumbled.

"It's my good asset! I don't have double Ds." Levy suddenly looked sly. "I bet Natsu would like them too."

"Levy-chan, I did not let you invite yourself just to have you harp on and on about my love life. Now, are you going to shut up about it or am I going to throw you off of this moving train?"

"Fine, fine," Levy conceded, holding up her hands in defeat. Three hours worth of conversation had dragged a bit. There was a whistle and the train's tannoy announced that they'd be arriving into Crocus' main station within the next ten minutes. Lucy looked out of the window, studying the night sky. She hadn't considered how late it'd be when they arrived. Best to find an inn quickly and visit the Library in the morning.

**===][===**

They alighted onto the train station amidst the crowd of people pushing on and off of the train. It was certainly more hectic than Magnolia! They held hands lest they got separated. What was it Gajeel had once said? Finding someone so small would be hard, particularly in such a dense group of people.

At least they didn't have too much luggage. Just a few changes of clothes, since they expected to be here three days at the tops. Levy had mentioned something about wanting a lot of bag space – just in case a few hundred books might fall into her collection. In addition to the library, Crocus was sure to have access to wonderful book shops.

The streets here were packed with people going about nightly business. So many people drinking and dancing. Restaurants were full with diners, including a large number of couples. Levy tried imagining her and Gajeel sitting down for a romantic dinner. It just couldn't quite work, could it? He'd be loud and aggressive and end up eating the cutlery.

"There are a lot of restaurants, Lu-chan. Should we stop and get something to eat first?"

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Lucy replied, a hand on her gurgling stomach. They began to venture down the city streets looking for something suitable. Eventually, Levy squealed in delight and skipped over to a sushi bar. She happily watched the conveyer belt from the outside. It all looked so delicious and perfect and…

"Expensive!" She shrieked, looking at the menu stuck to the window.

"I guess this is the capitol. Everything's going to be expensive here," Lucy said, walking over to look. Jeez, it was about a hundred jewels for a basic nigirizushi. "Maybe we should check how much money we brought and ration it out."

"We should buy some ingredients and cook," Levy replied weakly. They were on a holiday of sorts, this was pathetic. Levy took out her purse and began to count. "I have about five thousand jewels."

"Me too," Lucy sighed. Screw it! This was a chance to enjoy some nice food and share each other's company. No point in scrimping now. Levy wanted sushi, then they were going to eat sushi. Just maybe not a lot.

"Thanks, darlings!" A man shouted as he barrelled into the girls, snatching their purses from their hands and taking off down the street. What luck to run into a common thief within minutes of arriving! Well, maybe counting their money in public was a bit naïve.

"Capitol city crime," Lucy murmured. "You wanna, or should I?"

"No, I want to. Punk's taking me for an easy target." Levy held out her hands towards the fleeing thief. Something fast. "**Solid Script: Bolt!**" The golden word appeared and discharged itself into a thunderbolt heading right for the poor unsuspecting fool. He shouted as he was electrocuted and fell twitching to the cobbles.

"Mou!" Levy emoted as she walked over and picked up her purse. "I hope I didn't singe the money."

Suddenly the thief surged to his feet, aiming a fist for the small girl's face. Before it got there, a hand reached down and clamped around his, crushing it with extreme force. He looked up at the face of the owner, a celestial spirit with bovine features.

"What a coward," Capricorn said coldly. "Attacking only those whom you perceive to be weak. Allow me to show you the proper deportment of a gentleman."

Levy and Lucy turned away from the sounds of the violent beating, checking that all of their money was still there. A large crowd watched the scene with disbelief.

"I feel like such a small city hick," Levy said. "But Magnolia is not small!"

"Still, we should be more careful," Lucy stated. "Perhaps Magnolia is safer if only because everyone there knows Fairy Tail. These people see us as girls, not mages."

"Maybe not anymore," the blunette replied wryly, noticing the crowd for the first time. They could hear the words 'Fairy Tail' being whispered. Of course, they probably recognized Lucy from the grand magic games. They were a fearsome guild, after all!

"_Isn't that the girl who lost twice?"_

"_I guess the other one was too weak to take part."_

"Let's go, Lu-chan," Levy suggested, head hung.

"Yes, let's," Lucy agreed sheepishly.

**===][===**

Levy happily plucked another plate from the conveyer belt. She was hungry and this was absolutely delicious, the best she'd ever had. She looked over at Lucy, who had stacked a few more plates in the same time. Well, maybe being small had some advantages. She didn't eat so much, so would pay less, hihi!

"Hey, Levy chan," Lucy asked at one point. "Do you ever wish that you were super strong?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean, I feel so jealous of the slayers and S-class mages sometimes. I want to be reliable like them, that everyone can depend on me. But I failed twice at the games."

"Lu-chan!" Levy chastised with a happy expression. "You're really strong! The first match you lost because the enemy team cheated, and the second…well, I wouldn't use that psycho as a fair measure of strength."

"But I'm not reliable."

Levy watched her friend, hands pressed to her face, hiding the unhappy set of her mouth. Small tears were half formed at the corner of her eyes. She was trying to follow the train of thoughts that had led to this conversation.

"You're wondering if adding Ophiuchus to your team will make you stronger."

"Yes!" Lucy sounded surprised at Levy's perceptiveness.

"Hmm…Sabretooth seemed to believe that it was stronger than the other spirits, but Kagura defeated it quite easily. Then again, Kagura is another person that I wouldn't spend too much time comparing myself to."

"But…I guess so," Lucy said despondently.

"Now, you're thinking that you want to be Natsu's equal," Levy guessed.

"Yes!? How did you…?"

"Ummm," Levy hesitated. Maybe she wasn't the best person to be talking about this subject. "Well, Gajeel and I aren't even close to being equal in strength. Does that matter to you?"

"I dunno, I guess that it's just an extension of the same problem. I want Natsu to see me as reliable."

Levy began counting on her fingers. "Master. Gildartz. Laxus. Erza. Mira. Natsu and Gajeel. I guess that puts you about eighth in our guild in terms of strength. That's really great! Those seven are really super strong too!"

"You didn't include Juvia, Elfman, Cana or Wendy," Lucy said, clearly surprised by Levy's assessment. "Or the Raijinshuu."

"I think you could give any of those a run for their money. Didn't you already defeat Bixlow? Aquarius ties with Juvia, you can beat her with two spirits. And you and Cana beat Fried and Bixlow again. I think you could take Wendy or Elfman…maybe, I'd like to see!" Suddenly an idea struck Levy. "Ah! I bet you'll be in the S-class exams next year!"

"Levy-chan…"

"Can I be your partner? Please, please, please! Oh no, I'll probably have to be Gajeel's…"

"I'm not going to…"

"But there are eight slots at least! You'll definitely be there! And so will Gajeel now that he's properly in the guild! I mean, it's Natsu, Gray, Cana, Fried, Elfman, Juvia, Gajeel and you! Yes, that'll be it!"

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Lucy asked sarcastically. Levy put her finger to her mouth, pondering. Had she forgotten someone important? "You, you nitwit."

"Lu-chan, don't be silly," Levy chastised. "I only got in last year because Master felt sorry for me after the incident with Gaj…Phantom Lord. I'm not strong, but that's okay! The best thing that I can do for the guild is to become a great mage with written magic."

"You saved the day when Laxus attacked the guild," Lucy said fondly, "and you're helping me now."

"Do you think that I'm reliable, even though I'm not strong?" Levy asked seriously.

"Of course!" Lucy stated loudly, worried that she'd even be offending Levy slightly. Here she was moaning about strength to Levy of all people! But Levy is a mature person and wasn't offended in the slightest. One does not have to be the poorest person in the world to complain about money, after all.

"The same goes for you. Strength isn't the only important factor in whether someone's reliable or not. You have so many other great qualities! I'm sure that Natsu loves you for those!"

"I wasn't talking about that!" Lucy shrieked.

"Sure," Levy deadpanned. They ate for a while in silence after that until Levy said, "All of the time."

"What?" Lucy asked, confused.

"You asked if I ever wished that I was super strong," Levy said sadly. "All of the time."

**===][===**

Finding an inn proved surprisingly difficult. At least in terms of finding one at a decent price. They could at least share a double to save on some money. They changed into their pyjamas in a scene that Gajeel or Natsu would have killed to watch.

Levy frowned as there was a knock on the door and Lucy happily opened it to reveal a bellhop. He handed her a bottle of sake and two glasses and she thanked him profusely, slipping him a tip before shutting the door.

"Do you really think that alcohol is a good idea?" Levy asked, remembering the last time.

"It's a single bottle for the two of us, Levy-chan. And we're both eighteen now, so it's alright!"

"Well, I do remember that I enjoyed it before," Levy replied in the understatement of the century. The girls began to drink and chat, and it was perhaps inevitable that the conversation turned to boys. Levy hiccupped and asked the question. "Ignore Natsu and Gajeel for a moment, what about the other boys in the guild? Anyone you fancy? I bet you like Gray, right?"

"Don't start. You sound like Juvia. Gray's attractive, but he's not for me. I think Max is pretty good looking. But I know who you like! If it hadn't been Gajeel, it'd have been…Fried!"

"What!?" Levy shrieked.

"He's like a male version of you. Calm, collected, good with words, um, uh…,"

"Likes boys?" Levy giggled as she finished the list.

"Never!" Lucy looked shocked. "Fried's gay?"

"Duh. Haven't you seen the way he fawns over Laxus? Now Bixlow, there's the man for me!"

"Levy, you're drunk. Either that or your taste in men is really, really weird."

"I am not drunk. Hic. I'm perfectly cromulent. You're the one after gay men. Hic."

Lucy sighed deeply. "One cup of sake. Really, Levy?"

"This was your idea. Hic. Okay, if you don't wanna pick a man in the guild, tell me what you'd like in a man."

"Um…well, he's got to be strong and confident. He's got to be kind and generous. And I want to be comfortable with him. A boyfriend should be like a best friend, someone that you can be with all of the time and not be…Levy, why are you grinning like that?"

"Now, I may be sliiiiiiiiightly tipsy," Levy said, falling off of the bed and continuing her speech from the floor, "but that sounds a lot like Natsu."

"I'm trying to remember why I brought you along," Lucy sighed, reaching down to help the script mage back onto the bed. Bloody hell, the girl weighed nothing!

"Because I'm a voice of reason?" Levy guessed, before performing the world's cutest belch. "You may not want to hear it, but you and Natsu are perfect for each other. You should grab onto him quickly, or else someone else might take him. Like Lisanna for instance."

"She's not going to!" Lucy huffed. "He's mine!"

Lucy went deep crimson as what she had just said percolated through the room. Damn you alcohol and your lack of inhibitions! Levy was grinning like the Cheshire Cat at that statement. Fortunately, she yawned and passed out in Lucy's arms. Hopefully, she'd have forgotten that by the morning.

Lucy placed the smaller woman onto the bed and then turned off the lights. She lay under the blankets for a while, thinking. This little mission was supposed to help distract her from thoughts of Natsu. It didn't seem to be working so well, did it?

At some point in the night, Lucy noticed Levy become distressed. She began to squirm and reach out. Lucy wriggled up behind her to embrace her and she became much calmer. Lucy was fairly sure that she heard Levy murmur the word 'Gajeel' at some point. Poor thing was missing her teddy bear it seemed. It was certainly nice to hug someone, she thought drowsily.

Natsu must be warm to hold.

**===][===**

Back at Fairy Tail the next morning, Wendy was sitting with Charla, trying to fix a bow in the cat's hair. She looked up as a large shadow loomed over her. It was her fellow dragon, Gajeel. The young sky dragon was going to greet him cheerily, but he looked so serious that it stopped her.

"Oi, you!"

"Yes!?" She squeaked.

"Not you, the cat!"

"My name is Charla!" The white exceed pressed hotly. "If you want to talk, learn some manners!"

"Fine. Charla, you have prophetic dreams, right? Have you had any in the last day or so?"

"Huh? No, I haven't. Is something wrong?" But if anything, the iron dragon looked more relaxed.

"It's fine. Just getting worked up about a stupid nightmare. Nothing serious." His relief evaporated as Natsu pushed rudely past him. He was about to smash his head in, but Natsu spoke first.

"Hey, Charla! Have you had any dreams lately?" He demanded.

"Umm…no? You've had a nightmare too?"

"Too?" Natsu looked up at Gajeel who was staring back at him in surprise. "I…I dreamt that Igneel was attacking Lucy and Levy. I think he…killed them."

"I dreamt that a black snake ate Levy, and Lucy couldn't stop it," Gajeel replied. The iron dragon looked uncharacteristically shaken. He tried to shake his head, to free up his brain. "We're just being obsessive boyfriends. Nothing to panic about."

"I AM NOT-," Natsu started before calming down. "Yes, we're worried about our _nakama, _that's all. No big mystery."

"Umm…," Wendy said shyly and hesitantly as she became the focus of two wound up dragon slayers. "Grandine taught me about all the aspects of dragon relationships and bonding. She said that dragons had a sixth sense about people who they've bonded with. If you two love them very deeply, it could be that you're sensing danger that they're in."

"That doesn't make sense!" Natsu shouted, slamming his fists onto the table, choosing to ignore the 'love' comment for the moment. "It was Igneel! Why would Igneel hurt Lucy?"

"Are you sure that it wasn't another dragon?" Charla asked. "It was a dream. It could have been metaphorical."

"Metaphorical?" Gajeel grimaced. This sounded far too complicated for him, even if it was the word 'metal' with 'phorica' in the middle. "Wait. I saw a snake and thought it might be that spirit of Lucy's, but what if it was just the neck and head of a dragon? Maybe I was seeing a dragon, just like you?"

"Maybe," Natsu said, sounding unconvinced.

"Think about it," Charla insisted. "What if there is a dragon, and you both viewed it in your own idioms? Natsu saw it as his father, and Gajeel as something shrouded in darkness. Dreams and visions can be very fluid. The important thing here is that there is some kind of monster."

"We're wasting time!" Natsu shouted, making everyone jump and look at him. "This is too much coincidence! I have to believe that Lucy is in danger!"

"I ain't letting anything hurt my Shrimp," Gajeel agreed with an evil growl. He'd tear the universe asunder before allowing anything to hurt her again.

"I'll come too!" Wendy stated, stunning the two boys. "If there's a dragon, then we should work as a team. If you have any more dreams, then Charla can help. And if they're hurt, then I can heal them!"

"Thanks, Wendy," Natsu said quietly. They spent a few minutes letting the guild know where they were going. Natsu convinced Erza and Gray to stay behind, as it was likely all just a big nothing. Gajeel was a bit more violent convincing Jet and Droy that Levy was in safe hands.

"Oi Gajeel! Wendy!" Natsu called. "Get packed. I'll meet you at the train station at eleven."

"Right!" The other two slayers shouted, running off. Gajeel suddenly stopped and turned to Natsu with a crooked leer. "Remember one thing, Salamander. I'm not resistant to Troia yet. Gihi!"

"Oh, crap!"

_Lucy, I'm about to spend a three hour train ride with Gajeel! You better be in danger!_


	3. The Grand Librariam

**The Thirteenth Key**

**Chapter 3**

**The Grand Librariam**

Levy yawned slightly and snuggled contentedly into Gajeel's chest. She was so warm and comfortable. It would be fine if the world ended right now, just like this. Huh? Was Gajeel's chest so soft? Wasn't it normally rock hard? This was big and bouncy, just like…

Levy's eyes snapped open as her cheeks coloured. She slowly looked up into Lucy's grinning face.

"Morning, Levy-chan! Dreaming of someone? Or just enjoying the feeling?"

"I, I'm sorry!" Levy screeched, practically hurling herself backwards and falling off the edge of the bed. She tried to ignore the annoying laughter as she clambered back up onto the mattress. "Well, that's the closest I'm gonna get to a pair of double Ds," Levy mumbled.

"Don't look so down! Come on, I'll brush your hair to make up for it." The pair got dressed to go out and Lucy worked to pull Levy's hair back into her traditional headband. She had no idea how she did it by herself! But her hair was fantastically soft. Lucy had a rare moment of body envy with Levy.

"Are you going to go out like that?" Levy asked sceptically. Lucy tried to understand the criticism. Levy was wearing a pale yellow elegant sundress and Lucy wore a white top with a short blue skirt. What was wrong with that? "I mean your shoes," Levy clarified.

"What's wrong with my shoes?" Lucy inquired with bemusement.

"Do you really need to wear four inch heels when you're with me?" She asked wryly.

"It's not my fault if you choose to wear flats," the blonde huffed. "I know! Let's go shoe-shopping on the way there!"

"Why? Don't you have enough shoes by now?"

"I have no idea what you just said," Lucy replied cheerily.

**===][===**

"No, Lu-chan! I don't want to go clothes shopping!" Levy protested as the larger girl forcibly shoved her into a mall. "I just want to go to the library!"

"Come on, Levy-chan! This is prime girl bonding time!"

"Says the girl with huge knockers and a shoe fetish!" Levy cried desperately. "This isn't my idea of a good time!"

"Nonsense! Let's find something for you that Gajeel'll like, yeah?" Having successfully subdued the blunette by forcing her into a downward spiral of insanity, Lucy managed to manhandle her over to the clothes section.

"They don't even have underwear in my size," Levy said miserably. "I bet I'd have to go over to the kiddies' section."

"No, look they have resizing magic here! I bet Gajeel would like these lacy undies, eh?" Levy looked at the infernal device in Lucy's hands with amazement. Those were clothes? There wasn't any material there! "No? How about this negligee?"

"What kind of shop is this?" Levy squealed thinly, staring at the semi-transparent garment with fear. "Do women wear things like that?"

"Levy, you have thousands of romantic novels. Stop acting so innocent."

"It's different in real life!"

"Oh! I've got a great idea!" Lucy shouted happily, dragging Levy halfway across the store to the outerwear apparel. Levy looked around in confusion, slowly realising where she was. The leather section. "See! Let's get you a nice leather jacket! Nothing risqué, and I think it'd be right up Gajeel's alley!"

"I-I don't think that this is my style," Levy noted nervously, touching the shiny garments tentatively. "Look at the prices!"

"Well, we could always get you another kitty hoodie. I'm sure that Gajeel will like that." Lucy decided to do a bit of shopping by herself after that, as Levy appeared to have completely collapsed in on herself mentally, mumbling something about dragons and shrimps. She happily spent an hour going through shoes before Levy finally found her again.

"Can we please go?" She begged. "There are books waiting for me!"

"You really hate clothes, don't you?" Lucy asked amiably, untying the laces of the shoes she currently had on. "They're just a big mystery to you."

"Try being a permanent child size. That puts you off clothes shopping. Now are you going to buy something or not?"

"It's all too damn expensive," Lucy grumbled. "But the selection is fantastic."

"Maybe Natsu will buy you a pair if you ask him nicely."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, we're going. Well played, Levy-chan!"

**===][===**

"Oh my word, Lu-chan look!" Levy cried, running up to the window of a store. Lucy looked over her head at the display. It was a pair of gale force reading glasses, with 'x64' stamped on one lens.

"That's pretty fast," Lucy said, thinking that her pair was only a x2.

"Sixty four times speed," Levy marvelled, doe eyed. "Mine are only sixteens. Think how much faster could read with those. I'd pay a thousand bucks for a pair like that."

"Then don't look at the price tag," Lucy advised gently.

"Ten thousand!?" Levy shrieked. "I hate this blasted city! Everything is too damn expensive!"

"Maybe we can ask master to fund them for you," Lucy suggested kindly. "After all, you'd use them a lot for guild business."

"You think?" The blunette asked hopefully.

"Well, with you reigning in Gajeel's destruction, perhaps he'll make up the difference in the damage bill!"

**===][===**

"**Roar of the Iron Dragon!**" Gajeel's blast took out most of the carriage and two enemies in his way. To think that this train would be attacked by bandits! Unlucky bastards to be facing three dragon slayers at the same time. Well, two slayers…

"Ulph," Natsu emoted, wriggling on the floor. "I wanna fight too…"

"Wendy's stopped the train, aren't you back to normal yet?" Gajeel shouted. Two more bandits appeared, firing guns at Gajeel. He laughed as the bullets ricocheted from his iron scales and grabbed the flame dragon by the ankle. Wielding him like a club, he struck the two assailants down, laughing like a madman.

"Gajeel!" Lily shouted angrily, reappearing from the next carriage. "Don't use your nakama as weaponry!"

"He said that he wanted to fight!" Gajeel whined petulantly, dropping Natsu to the floor. Natsu clambered falteringly to his feet, trying to take stock of the previous few minutes. He'd been catatonic, vaguely hearing Gajeel and Wendy talk about…reading? That couldn't be right, but whatever. Then a bandit had thrown open the compartment door, shouting that this train was under their control now. Then Gajeel had put him through the wall.

The outside wall, onto a fast moving countryside.

Lily went to check one end of the train. Wendy had gone to the engine with Happy and Charla to make sure that the engineers were safe and to apply the emergency break. Gajeel had gone back and forth, drawing the enemies' attention all onto himself. He'd had fun, gihi!

"Bandits?" Natsu said at last as his queasiness faded. "How unlucky were we?"

"I'd say that they were the unlucky ones, gihihihi!"

"But the train's damaged," Wendy reported. "We'll have to limp into the nearest station and then wait for a replacement."

"It's like we're being kept away from them," Natsu hissed.

"You're being overly dramatic, Salamander," Gajeel replied dismissively. "This is just unlucky."

"What if…our visions have to happen?" That got Gajeel's attention. "What if fate or something is delaying us so that the visions happen?"

"I don't believe in destiny!" Gajeel snarled. "I'll rip apart fate itself if it's gonna stand in the way of my Shrimp!" Natsu glared at him for a while, because his only thought was: _I wish I'd said that._

"We're thinking too hard," Charla stated. "They'll get the train rolling soon and we'll just have to be patient."

There was a soft rumble as the engines engaged again and Natsu immediately flopped down into his seat. Gajeel grinned, still under the effect of Wendy's Troia spell. Those two slayers sat down next to one another as Lily went about tying up the bodies lying around. It'd been little more than light exercise for the Fairy Tail mages, although Gajeel had significantly reduced the structural stability of this carriage.

"So, Gajeel-san! You were telling me about the book that Levy-san read to you!" Wendy said cheerily, restarting their conversation. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?"

"Oh yeah! It was really good. See, Charlie's like Shrimp, cuz he's all small and puny, but he wins this ticket and then…"

**===][===**

Finally! They had arrived at the Grand Librariam. It was a huge building, almost the size of a football stadium. Every inch of it was crammed with details. Stonework, columns, statues, windows. It was a majestic sight.

"Remember, you have to be quiet in a library," Lucy teased, seeing that Levy was about to explode with anticipation. They hurried inside, uttering strangled squeals of excitement, balancing the need to be quiet with sheer joy. It was everything they'd dreamed!

The rooms were huge, lined with rows upon rows of books reaching from floor to ceiling. The carpet was a rich red and all the shelves were a deep wood, lending warmth to the surroundings.

"Come on, Levy-chan! We can enjoy ourselves in a bit, but let's see if we can find anything on Celestial Spirits!" Nearby, a figure crooked his head in as he overheard the conversation by complete accident. He leaned out to watch the two girls disappear into another section of the library.

"Celestial Spirits, eh?"

**===][===**

"Push me down, Lu-chan!" Levy had ascended one of the many stepladders that adorned the rows of bookshelves. Lucy pushed her down the row slowly, as they both scanned the books on different levels. The library was difficult to search simply because it was so large. There was just one section for all things magical, and they were working through the Cs.

"I found something-no, we have this one back home," Lucy said, going from happy to despondent quickly.

"Hold on, Lu-chan," Levy called. "I think that this one is new."

Lucy watched warily as the small girl tried to move a huge tome from where it was wedged into the shelf.

"Levy-chan, I don't think that's safe," she advised.

"I've almost got it," Levy replied distractedly. With a wrench she freed the book. The large book was almost half her own weight and she overbalanced as it came out. She closed her eyes. This was going to be bad.

"**Open Gate of the Ram: Aries!**" Pink wool filled the space between the shelves, cushioning Levy as she fell. About a hundred people rushed up to 'shh' them. Never mind the mortal peril, how dare someone make noise in a library! And Levy agreed with them! Aries apologised profusely, as is her normal idiom.

The next few hours became boring for Lucy. She was practically a mule, bringing every book that she could find for Levy. With her sixteen times glasses and naturally superior reading, Lucy would have just been slowing her down, really. If nothing else, it gave her some time to think.

She loved him, didn't she?

No matter how much she tried to ignore it, it kept coming back. No amount of distraction was sufficient to stop these feelings. Lucy had never met a person so radiant with passion. A man who could and would stand up a hundred times over to protect that which he cared about. And he was so easy to be with, to talk to, to laugh with. They were best friends. When exactly had that changed?

She remembered when he came to rescue her from the princesses' castle during the grand magic games. It wasn't the first time that he'd rescued her, but it felt like the first time as something more than just nakama.

Thinking about Gajeel and Levy, they had both thought their love one sided. Levy had thought that Gajeel only protected her due to guilt and her own weakness. Gajeel had thought himself undeserving of the person he'd once hurt. But Lucy's love was reciprocated. Of that, she was sure. Why didn't that make it easier? Damn it, why was this emotion so tricky!?

Trying to distract herself, she drew Ophichus' key and stared at it. She tried to reach out to the spirit, but it remained as distant as ever. The key might as well have been completely inert.

The day wore on and the sun began to set. At one point, Lucy returned to find Levy slumbering over an open book, more piled high around her. Gah! How did Gajeel survive the cuteness that this one put out? She was like a napping kitten!

"Come on, Levy-chan," Lucy said softly, gently shaking the bookworm by her shoulders. "We should probably go."

"But I haven't found anything useful yet!" Levy protested, sounding woefully distressed that she'd been unable to help Lucy.

"Excuse me." The girls turned at the sound of a refined, cultured voice. There was a man, tall and slender. Everything about him oozed wealth and high culture. Well trimmed alabaster hair, a proud nose, exquisitely tailored clothes. "I don't wish to be rude, but I overheard you talking earlier about the celestial spirits."

"Yes?" Lucy ventured cautiously.

"Let me be direct. I am Alexander C. Vanquez. I am a rather frequent visitor of the Librariam. I also have a rather sizeable collection of books at my estate…I must confess to being something of a bibliophile. But, I'm rambling. What I should say is that I have a curiosity for the celestial world, and have quite a few books on the subject."

"Really?" Lucy asked, renewed hope shining in her eyes.

"Indeed." He reached into a breast pocket and produced a card. "I am aware of how it might seem for a man of my age to approach two young women as yourself. So here, please take my card. If you are interested in looking through my collection, please stop by my place at around ten tonight. I'll make sure that my collection is ready for you."

"Um, thank you," Lucy said as the man bowed and departed from them. She looked at the card, which had his name and address in beautiful print. "What do you think, Levy-chan?"

"Well, if he likes books, he can't be all bad! He said ten, right? That would give us time to get dinner and rest a little bit. It seems like a good idea to me. And I don't think that he was a mage; I'm sure that we could take him down if he had improper intentions."

"I suppose," the blonde replied a little uncertainly. Then she felt the weight of the key hanging at her waist and her resolve hardened. _I will help him._

**===][===**

As he walked down the street towards his home, Alexander grinned to himself.

_This is it! This is perfect! A powerful celestial mage is exactly what I need! Prepare yourself, Igneel!_


	4. Trapped

**The Thirteenth Key**

**===Chapter 4===**

**Trapped**

"He seems nice," Levy said. After their brief meeting with Alexander, they'd gone to get dinner. After a brief look at the average restaurant price, they'd ended up at a noodle stand. Two large bowls of steaming noodles sat before them as they chatted.

"I dunno, I never quite trust someone who just walks up like that," Lucy replied cautiously, frowning slightly. Her expression betrayed her unease. "I always wonder what their ulterior motive is."

"Maybe he just wants to help?"

"Levy-chan, you're not that naïve."

"Okay, maybe he's just lonely. He said that he spends a lot of time at the library. He's just glad to find people who share an interest of his." The talking stopped briefly as noodles slurped their way from bowls to mouths. "But, I think we'll be okay anyway. We are mages, after all!"

"I hope so. There was just something creepy about him," Lucy said thoughtfully. Hopefully, it was just her imagination.

**===][===**

"Are you sure this is the right address?" Levy gawked.

"I-I think so," Levy stammered, staring up at the mansion in amazement. It had to be bigger than Fairy Tail! She'd never seen a residence so opulent since she'd moved out of the Heartphilia Estate. Where did this wealth come from?

They walked up the garden path to the main door. Levy had felt quite so out of place, as if the clothes she was wearing weren't expensive enough for such a place. She noticed that Lucy seemed much more at home here, which she supposed made sense for a Heartphilia. Lucy slammed the huge knocker against the door three times.

"Lu-chan, wait," Levy hissed. "This entire building is ringed by runes."

"What?" Levy knelt and pressed her hand to the floor. In response, magical runes flared to life from invisibility. Lucy watched as Levy's eyes flickered, reading the words as well as the flow magic.

"These are anti-magic runes. Once inside, we'll be unable to cast magic. We'll be helpless." Lucy couldn't help but agree with Levy's assessment. As physical fighters, they were useless. If this man was even of medium build, he could easily overpower them, ignoring the fact that he probably had a multitude of servants. Levy's hands glowed with a rose aura. "Give me a moment."

"What are you doing!?" Lucy gasped, as suddenly a butler answered the door. Levy sprang upright with not a moment to spare to cover her subterfuge. Lucy's mind was thinking quickly. What did the runes mean? It wasn't uncommon for rich men to have security, was it? After all, the Heartphilias had similar defences. But to apply a null zone to a building of this size would require a master runesmith.

"Ah, you must be the pair that Master encountered at the Librariam. Please, do come in, he's waiting for you in his study." The butler led them along grandiose corridors and up several flights of stairs until he paused outside of a large oaken door to rap his knuckles against it. Having taken their names earlier, he called in. "A young Miss Lucy Heartphilia and Levy McGarden to see you, sir."

"Ah! Please show them in!" Alexander's voice floated out of the room and the butler opened the door to allow them in. Inside, the study was magnificent. A two floored room with a mezzanine. The two floors were crammed with bookshelves, while the open area included a series of desks with various books spread out on them.

In the middle of it all was Alexander, beaming happily from behind a desk. He hurriedly stood, making to shake the girl's hands with warm greetings. He looked at Lucy directly.

"Lucy Heartphilia. Yes, I should have made the connection earlier. A powerful celestial mage of Fairy Tail and daughter of Jude Heartphilia. I must pass on my condolences. He was a good man."

"You knew him?" Lucy asked, surprised.

"I'm a rather large merchant. I couldn't have _not _heard of him! No, we had more than a few dealings, him and I. But, that is the past and I don't wish to tread on old memories. Would you like a drink, or should we get straight to business?"

Lucy began to explain the events that had led them here, of the small information she had surrounding the snake spirit.

"Ophiuchus. Hmm, yes, you'd be hard pressed to find any information on him at all. I possess a great many books on the subject, and few go beyond noting the fact that there is a rumoured thirteenth key. Only a few of those know that it is supposedly a serpent."

"So, you don't have any information at all?" Lucy asked, disappointment clear on her face.

"Let me ask you, do you know how old your spirits are?" Alexander asked.

Levy chipped in, feeling a bit left out. "My understanding is that the spirits are ancient, older than even humanity, but they gained shape due to how humans perceived the stars."

"Yes, that is correct. Take one of your spirits, Taurus for example. He is as old as the stars of that constellation, but the theory goes that he was shapeless, immaterial until humans came into existence and began to worship the stars, name them, give them form."

"So it's our fault he's a lecherous pervert?" Lucy asked flatly.

"I wouldn't say that exactly," Alexander replied, grinning at the joke, "but the bovine elements of his form are because of us. It's quite fascinating, but ultimately so far in the past that little exists in terms of records. But I would suggest that your snake friend committed his crime in eons past. When one considers the history of serpents in fiction-"

"You're thinking of the bible!" Levy blurted suddenly, confusing Lucy utterly.

"Yes. My, you are a bright young thing. The serpent. The betrayer in the Garden of Eden. And what was his crime? Nothing so terrible as wanting to grant knowledge to humanity. These ancient stories, they all twist together, drawing elements from one another – the price of history before writing was invented. So, allow me to make a wild speculation. Your friend, Ophiuchus tried to help us humans in some way. The king didn't like that. Perhaps at the time, humanity was very primitive, very savage. Since then, the king may well have changed his mind, but the order stands."

"That would explain why he was banished, even though Virgo said that he wasn't evil," Lucy said thoughtfully. "But he is alone! Why wouldn't the king let him back in if he changed his mind?"

"I don't know, but we males tend to be stubborn creatures. Perhaps each is happier with shouldering the past and moving forward with it."

"This is all very well and good, but it just speculation," Lucy noted. "We don't have any concrete evidence."

"Can you not forcibly summon Ophiuchus to converse with him directly?" Alexander asked, raising a brow.

"No. I can force a spirit back to the celestial world, but I cannot make one come here without his say so."

"I see. Then I may be able to help you after all." He reached over onto the desk, holding up a book opened to a page displaying a magical seal. "Behold, the seal that can summon a spirit to this world by means of possession."

"Possession?" Lucy asked.

"Yes. Don't worry about how it sounds, it isn't dangerous to the host, but you can essentially use a human as a vessel to bind the spirit to for a temporary period of time. It means that you could speak to Ophiuchus directly."

"I see…," Lucy said doubtfully. Her doubt arose again. Did he want the spirit for himself?

"The problem is, the host cannot be you as the summoner. And before you think that I am trying to swindle you in some way, they must be a mage. So my servants and I cannot be the host either."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Oh crap," Levy swore.

**===][===**

"So," Wendy said quietly. "Who else has suddenly realised how difficult it will be to find two people in a city of this size?"

"Particularly someone so small," Gajeel growled.

"I can't find their scent at all!" Natsu raged. There were just so many people heading back and forth, even at this late hour. A thousand scents overlaying one another in all directions.

"We know that they're going to the Library," Lily said, ever the voice of wisdom. "You three head there on foot. We Exceeds will fly about and see if we can spot them from the sky."

"Don't get lost, Natsu!" Happy called as the trio began to ascend. Natsu shouted something rude back up, but they had gone by then. They began to scour the wide city roads, heading in the general direction of the Librariam.

At one point, Gajeel called a halt and strode over to a window to look at something.

"Oi, give me a minute Salamander, I wanna buy this."

"Gajeel, hurry up!"

"I'll just be a minute, asshole!" Gajeel walked into the shop and Wendy went over, curious. From outside the shop, she watched the shopkeeper reach into the window display and pick up the sixty four times speed glasses that had been sitting there. She felt all warm and fuzzy; Gajeel hadn't hesitated for a second to drop ten thousand jewels on something he'd thought that Levy would like. Who'd have thought that face hid such a kind personality?

As he came back out carrying the elegant glass case, he noticed Wendy and blushed slightly. "You think she'll like them?"

"Of course!" She thrilled. "But isn't that expensive?"

Gajeel shrugged. "I do high level jobs that make a lot of money. My apartment's pretty shabby, but the rent's low. I don't need much in the way of clothes or food. I can get iron for free from a scrapyard. Money doesn't mean much to me. Shrimp said that her pair was getting kinda old, so…"

"It's the thought that counts!" Wendy assured him. Gajeel never looked so vulnerable. If she had been anyone else, Gajeel might have punched her for inquiring, but he was fond of the little slayer. She was like a little sister to him, and if she'd just grow up a few more inches, he could have endless hilarity comparing her to Levy. Gihihi!

"Are we going or what!?" Natsu shouted impatiently, already a dozen metres up the road.

"Now him, him I'll punch," Gajeel hissed. Natsu just glared and turned to carry on. He couldn't sit still. He could feel it in his bones now. Lucy was close and so was danger. He had to hurry. He could never forgive himself is she was…no! He couldn't even think it. He remembered watching future Lucy die at Rogue's hands. Never again. He had to find her, now!

**===][===**

"Are you sure about this?" Levy asked nervously. They had moved to a bare sideroom. The room had a secondary set of runes that created a shadow in the first. Basically, this room was the only room one could cast magic in this house. It made Lucy feel better, knowing that if anything bad happened, Taurus or Loke were only a wave of a key away.

"I've read this book a bit. It appears to be completely safe. It won't hurt you and it lasts for an hour at the maximum."

"Jeez, that makes it alright then!" Levy huffed sarcastically. Ophiuchus' key sat on a chain around her neck. Why had she agreed to this? She loved Lucy with all of her heart, but this seemed more than a tad excessive. But at her very core, Levy was an immensely kind individual. Touching the key, she felt bad for the lonely spirit and wanted to help ease his pain. "Okay, I'm ready."

Alexander watched eagerly as Lucy raised her hands, creating the magical seal.

"**I invoke the ancient right of the heavens! Gate of the Serpent Bearer, I open thee onto this willing vessel! Ophiuchus, I call thee forth!**"

They key began to glow with golden light that passed into Levy, her eyes closed. In the light, Lucy swore that she could see ebon streamers like snakes winding their way around her friend's body. As the light faded, Levy began to scream and scream, collapsing to the floor.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy cried, kneeling down to hold her. She could see her veins turning black, standing out in bold relief to her paling skin. She was insensate, overcome by overwhelming pain. "What's wrong? Alexander, did I do the spell wrong?"

"No," Alexander said, facing contorting into an evil smile. "You did the spell perfectly. Right now, Ophiuchus is sealed within your friend's body. Within an hour, she'll die from the magical power ripping her apart. That gives us a wonderful ticking clock, doesn't it?"

"W-what are you saying?" Lucy cried, confused by how events had changed so suddenly.

"Don't worry. I am not some Neanderthal philistine who hits women. I have no plans to harm you in any way. Put simply, I need you to do something for me."

"You bastard! Why didn't you just ask!?" Lucy screamed. "Why did you hurt Levy!?"

"Because," he replied with a sneer, all veneer of politeness falling away. "The thing I am asking you to do will very possibly kill someone very important to your guild. What's his name? Natsu Dragneel?"

"Natsu!?"

"Yes. I am asking you to kill his father." He scowled, seeing Lucy about to utter another 'what' and talked over it. "Listen, you silly girl. It is quite simple. I need a celestial mage to perform a ritual on me, to attach me to my Earthland self."

"I can't do something like that!" _Wait, Earthland?_

"Yes, you can. I can show you the ritual. The worlds are joined by the celestial world. All runs through that plane-"

"You, you're Edolas Igneel, aren't you?" Lucy stated boldly, pieces falling into place. She remembered the words of Garren, Metalicana's Edolas counterpart. He'd said that this Igneel was in complete contrast to this world's. "You said that you wanted to attach to your Earthland self and that it would kill Igneel!"

"Do not interrupt me again," Alexander said coldly. "Yes, I am the Edolas form of that damned dragon. I am asking you to perform a ritual that will link me to my Earthland counterpart and steal his magic, sealing it within me. I'm sure that it won't kill him. Maybe. It's not really relevant. What is relevant is if you don't do this for me, your friend dies."

"Ten minutes."

Lucy and Alexander were startled. It was Levy who had spoken. It was her voice, but the inflection was wrong. She was sitting up now and though still shaking, had appeared to pass through the worst of the pain. She glared up with eerily golden eyes.

"Give my owner and I ten minutes to discuss this. Then we will give you your decision."

"I didn't think that you would be coherent, snake. Fine, I shall grant you ten minutes. Remember, that body cannot sustain you for long." Alexander left the room, leaving Lucy trembling with the revelation of the last few minutes. She looked at Levy, not sure what to say.

"Levy? Ophiuchus?"

"I am the serpent," the Levy-thing said with an angry snarl, mitigated by the non-scary disposition of his current body. "I don't know why you couldn't just leave well enough alone, but because of you, look at this situation."

Lucy began to cry, overwhelmed by the moment. She'd gone from optimistic to crushed within moments, facing the deaths of Levy, Natsu's father and now the very spirit who she'd tried to help. He was right to be angry with her. She was so stupid to allow this to happen.

"Oi! You don't have time to be crying!" Ophiuchus shouted, twisting Levy's features into an alien expression of anger. "You have two choices; kill me to save your friend or give this man power that will kill a person important to you. Or, I suppose you could let this girl die."

"Never!" Lucy shouted back, full of passion. "I am not the sort of person to allow my nakama to die! Now, you damn snake, I went out of my way to help you and so did Levy! So the first thing you can do is give me the information that I need! Why wouldn't you talk to me? Why were you banished?"

'Levy' winced at the outburst, looking sombre. "Listen, princess. My sins are none of your damn business. I do not want to add this girl's death to the list. What a young girl might not have paid any attention to was that he only gave you the seal for possession, but not the one for unbinding. Without that, I'm trapped in here. However, you can still destroy me utterly. Take the key and I can show you the ritual of unmaking. That will save your friend."

"I refuse!" Lucy replied hotly.

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. I die, or your friend does."

"I refuse! I will find another way." Lucy turned back to the book that she had taken the ritual from. Looking at it now, she believed the book to be a fake. The ritual obviously worked, but the consequences were all lies. She couldn't trust anything in there. "If you're going to be useless, is it possible for me to talk to Levy?"

"No. I can feel her mind in here, but I can't let it surface. She's scared, you know." 'Levy' frowned. "But for some reason I don't understand, she trusts you to save us both. She also says 'I told you so'. I like her."

"Then you can be friends once I get you both back to the guild," Lucy replied with a fierce smile. Ophiuchus looked a little stunned at the proclamation. "We've still got five minutes left, and we're in a room where I can cast magic. I'm going to figure something out, you'll see."

Levy's body winced, clutching her head. "Hurry. Your friend doesn't have much time."

**===][===**

Gajeel staggered, his breath unexpectedly catching in his throat. What was this feeling? He was sweating buckets suddenly. He could feel his dream resurface in his mind's eye. Levy, being swallowed whole by a black serpent.

"Salamander! Wendy! We're getting close, I think!" He shouted. Natsu looked at him and shared an understanding nod.

The Fire Dragon closed his eyes, trying to feel this 'bond' that Wendy had spoken of. Was it true that dragons bonded so deeply with their loved ones that they could sense their danger? Sense their pain? It seemed-

Natsu's eyes snapped open. He could almost see it, like a fine red thread leading him to Lucy. He could feel that she was sad, upset beyond measure, but hopeful and trying to achieve something. There was no feeling of the danger that Igneel had posed in his dream, but he could almost reach out and touch her, wipe her tears away.

"Luce," he whispered. "I'm coming! Hold on!"


	5. The Serpent Bearer

**The Thirteenth Key**

**Chapter 5**

**The Serpent Bearer**

Alexander waited for ten minutes and then re-entered the room where the two girls were. They were both standing, facing him. He coughed slightly, clearing his throat.

"I hope that you have made the correct decision," he said smoothly.

"I have a question," Lucy stated. "You do know the spell that can unseal Ophiuchus from Levy, right?"

"Of course. If you help me, then-"

"That's all I need to hear! In that case, we'll beat the answer out of you! In this room, I can cast magic, so: **Open Gate of the Scorpion: Scorpio!**"

"Wea!" The spirit shouted, erupting forth in a golden shower of light. Lucy saw his eyes flicker to Levy for a moment, clearly feeling the presence of the renegade spirit, but then he focussed on the man in front of him. "**Sand Buster!**"

Lucy saw it – the look of complete and utter contempt on Alexander's face. The cyclone of sand never struck him, instead stopping a few inches from his body. There was just enough time to proclaim surprise before he surged forward and smashed Scorpio into the floor with a single punch, causing the spirit to disappear.

"Two things you should know. First, I am very rich. I carry an expensive anti-magic charm at all times. It may not hold up against your attacks for long, but it can take a few hits like that. Secondly, I am an Edolas dragon. Even though I am human, my body still possesses greater speed, strength and durability than any normal person. You cannot beat me."

Lucy grimaced, reaching for another key but Alexander stormed forward, grabbing her hand.

"_**What are you doing? Help her!" Levy demanded, floating in the mental space in her mind. She was cloaked in darkness, the great black serpent winding around her loosely. The head turned to regard her with hostility.**_

"_**Your body is being destroyed by my mere presence. If I was to cast magic, I'd rip you apart."**_

"_**So?" Levy demanded. The snake's face clearly showed a level of shock, despite being expressionless. "I am a Fairy Tail mage and that is my best friend! I will do everything in my power to help her!"**_

"_**As you wish…"**_

"**Crushing Fangs, banishing evil!**" Ophiuchus shouted, moving Levy's hands into a forward position, wrists pressed together. Ebon magic whirled around her hands, forming a pair of jaws that lashed out on a serpentine body. It crashed into Alexander's shoulders and he staggered to the side under the impact, but his shield still held.

"Nice, Levy! **Open Gate of the Bull: Taurus!**" Taurus lowed, sweeping his axe around in a great arc. Even if magic couldn't hit, this physical blow…Alexander caught it in one hand. Rising, his expression smouldering with anger, he effortlessly disarmed the powerful spirit and used the axe to banish him. Fortunately, the axe was banished as well so that he couldn't hold on to it.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you," Alexander growled as Lucy reached for another key, nodding at the other girl. Lucy turned to see Levy on her knees. Her hands were smouldering, the skin unhealthy and black.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy cried.

"Damn it," Ophiuchus grumbled. "I told her. The tissue is beginning to necrotize. If I had access to my true power…damn it, princess! You have no choice now! You don't have the ability to destroy me with him here, and you aren't letting this girl die! Complete his bloody ritual!"

"No…I…," Lucy stammered, hanging her head in defeat. Her choices were her best friend or the father of the man she loved. She didn't know Igneel, had never met him. Levy was her closest friend. Tears dripping down her face, she whispered, "I'm sorry, Natsu."

Alexander retrieved the book detailing the seal necessary to cast the magic. Lucy studied it closely. Basically, the spell formed a link through the celestial world to the otherworldly counterpart of a person and began to leech upon their power like a parasite. If there was one silver lining, it wasn't immediate death. After this was done, they'd have a little while to figure a way out before Igneel perished. And who knew how long such a mighty beast might last? Days? Weeks?

Placing her hands on Alexander's chest, she began to recite.

"**I call upon the tides of the world, drawing upon the currents that flow between the stars, joining us all at the heart. By Orion, I attach his belt between this man and his counterpart. Orion, I beseech thee! Make the link!**"

For a moment, Lucy thought that nothing had happened. Alexander looked at his hands, similarly puzzled. Then his muscles began to grow, ripping the clothes from his torso. Flames began to flicker on his skin and his canines extended. Lucy was reminded of Laxus' dragon force form.

"Hahahaha! I've done it! The power of the dragon is mine!"

Lucy took a few steps back, eager to get away from him. She knelt by Levy, who by this time was virtually comatose. They only had about fifteen minutes left to complete the unsealing.

"Please! You have your end of the bargain! Please let me save Levy!" She watched as Alexander's euphoria passed and his eyes alighted on the two girls once more. She watched as his mouth twisted into an evil smile and he roared.

Lucy shielded Levy as best as she could from the crimson flames, screaming as she was burnt. She lost sense of time and orientation as the attack passed over them. Pain filled her senses. She was able to make out Levy next to her and prodded at her desperately, trying to rouse her, but she wasn't moving.

"_You fools!"_

_Lucy looked up as flames consumed everything, an enormous shadow behind the flare. Amber irises glowed in the darkness, regarding them with such hate, such contempt._

"_You dared to oppose me!?"_

_He roared in anger, quelling the flames and allowing a glimpse of his new ruby scales and enormous wingspan sprouting from his shoulder blades. Lucy quailed before him, frightened beyond any rational comprehension._

"_I am Igneel! And you, you are dead!"_

_Fire began to blaze in his mouth, brighter and brighter, consuming all vision with whiteness._

_Then it died away, being sucked in by the man shielding her from the fire._

_"Natsu!" She cried, watching his strong back stand tall against the flames, his muffler flapping in the backwash. She looked up as Gajeel walked past, sparing a pain-filled look down at Levy before snarling in rage and walking up to join Natsu. Wendy knelt by them, trying to heal Lucy. "Don't waste time on me! Levy needs you! But, oh no, we have to get Ophiuchus out of her now! We don't have the seal and-"_

_"This is great," Alexander hissed. "I'm going to enjoy trying out my new strength. Dragon slayers, huh?"_

_Two fists took him in the face and he flew backwards through three walls before finally righting himself. Gajeel and Natsu surged forward, both roaring with anger. They had so many questions, but the only thing that mattered was that this man had hurt Lucy and Levy._

_Grinning, Alexander rose to greet them. A sudden thought occurred to him. His mansion was ringed by anti-magic runes! How were they casting magic? How was he? What was going on here? He'd beat the answers out of these two. Yes, that was a good plan._

_**===][===**_

_"Wendy, what are you doing?" Lucy cried as the small slayer placed her hands on Levy's body. She began to glow with white light._

_"I know what I am doing, Lucy-san. Curing the body of foreign elements is my area of expertise. I can remove the spirit inside Levy-san." Lucy felt all of her anxiety collapse with relief as the veins returned to normal, black streamers exiting Levy's body to return to the key hanging at her neck._

"_**Levy, Listen to me! I have to tell you a few things before I depart. My sins…"**_

"What is this power?" Wendy murmured as she worked. She could feel Ophiuchus assisting her healing magic as he left Levy's body, redirecting it to the most grievously injured areas. She'd never have expected such subtlety from the monstrous spirit that she'd seen at the Grand Magic Games.

Levy's eyes fluttered open and she was immediately hugged tightly by Lucy, weeping about how sorry she was for everything that had happened.

"Not now, Lu-chan! I have a lot to tell you!"

**===][===**

Natsu coughed blood as Alexander's fist drove into his stomach and just kept going, dragging him through the floor and out of the wall and into the next room. He was just so strong! He didn't know how, but he could feel Igneel in him, feel the same fire that burned in his veins. And Alexander was huge now, taller than even Elfman.

"**Roar of the Iron Mulph!**" Gajeel's words were strangled as a hand closed around his face, causing the spell to backlash onto him instead. He emerged from the cyclone worse for wear, but with his scales up, and tried to punch but was sent back through the wall by a devastating kick. A moment later, Natsu slammed into him, thrown through as well.

"**Fire Dragon's Wing Beat!**" The two slayers were thrown around by the mighty attack, Natsu unable to eat any part of the fire in the time he was given. They slammed into the floor and were motionless. "hahaha! This is the power of the dragon! I coveted it for so long! It's fantastic!"

"You bastard," Natsu hissed, staggering to his feet. "I don't understand what's going on here, but you've got Igneel's power."

"Why shouldn't I take it? Your damn dragons brought us across from Edolas for their own selfish reasons. Perhaps the others were willing to cooperate, but not I. Since I was taken from my world, I took his power! Fair is fair, right?"

"I don't care about any of that. You hurt Lucy. You think that I'm just going to let you get away with that? I haven't even begun to fight yet!"

A huge slab of masonry was pushed aside as Gajeel stood up, looking like anger incarnate. "Hurt my Shrimp. Hurt my Shrimp. Hurt my Shrimp," he mumbled to himself.

"Then come on, you two! Hit me with everything you've got!"

"Wait!" Lucy, Levy and Wendy ran up behind the two slayers. It was Lucy who had spoken. "Alexander! I understand that you are angry with the world, but so far the only people you have hurt is us. If you stop now and let me reverse the spell on you, we can end this."

Natsu and Gajeel didn't look particularly happy with the concept, but were struck by the girl's willingness to forgive.

"Hahahaha! Do you really think that you can beat me?" Alexander mocked. "I am Igneel! Once I've fully absorbed this power, I will be complete. Two worlds, but only one me! Immortal, unstoppable!"

"I've given you fair warning," Lucy said with a fierce smile. "I've had a brief conversation and I've got someone new, ready and willing to show you up. **Open Gate of the Serpent Bearer: Ophiuchus!**"

The serpent is not Ophiuchus' true form. Like Pisces, he has another. The serpent bearer was light as well as darkness. Chosen as the symbol of the medical profession, he had two faces. One was death, destruction. The other was healing, rebirth.

Ophiuchus' sin was to grant healing magic to the world. Initially meant only for dragons, he also gave it to the humans, feeling pity for the primitive creatures. As such, all healing magic stems from the serpent. The king in a fit of rage banished Ophiuchus for giving such a gift to such an unworthy species. Since then, the king's opinion had changed with the millennia, but the banishment had never been lifted.

Ophiuchus had been alone for so long that he no longer wanted company. He just wished to fade away into oblivion. He had felt pity for the orphan Yukino and granted her his power. And feeling the bonds of friendship from Lucy and Levy had awoken something in the spirit. This was why he had helped the humans; he had felt their spirit, their resolve, and it touched him deeply.

He was ready to rejoin the world.

He took the form of an older man, sporting white hair and beard. He wore scaly armour, half white, half black, split down the middle. Each shoulder pad was a serpent's head, ebony and ivory representing his dual role. He wielded a Japanese halberd in his right hand and waves of healing magic radiated from him. All the Fairy Tail mages felt their injuries lessen and their magic replenish a little.

"You little bitch!" Alexander roared. "How can any of you cast magic here?"

"That was me, I'm afraid," Levy declared. "Before we entered your house, I noticed your runes and slipped a time delayed counter into them in case you betrayed us. It took an hour to go off, and will be in effect for the next hour!"

"That's my Shrimp! Gihi!"

"You hurt Lucy. You hurt Levy. You are still hurting Igneel. I'm going to kick your ass!" Natsu shouted, bathed in flame and lightning at the same time.

"**Solid Script: Fire, Lightning, Iron, Shadow!**" Levy shouted, writing four words in quick succession. The slayers began to ingest them, power swelling.

"I'm not going to give you the chance!" Alexander shouted, stepping forward. He blinked as Ophiuchus was in his face with extreme speed.

"I am Lucy's spirit now! No one will hurt Fairy Tail! **Yinyang Blade, Balancing Strike!**"His halberd swept into Alexander, surrounded by a black and white aura. Alexander staggered but didn't fall, looking up in time to see…

"**Sky Dragon's Wing Slash!**" Wendy slashed her arms downwards, twin cyclones sending the Edo-dragon through a wall. Damn slayer magic! He could feel how it was the antithesis of his own power. Wait, why was it so dark in this room? The light was on, but it didn't reach the floor. A daemonic face appeared out of the gloom, a hand grabbing his throat.

"This…this is for hurting Levy. **Iron-Shadow Dragon's Club Barrage!**" Out of the shadows, a hundred fists materialized brutalizing Alexander from every conceivable angle. As they came, they solidified and hardened into metal, pounding, hurting. At last Gajeel relented and threw him back out into the main room.

"This is for Igneel! **Thunder-Flame Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**" Natsu slammed Alexander down through the floor, a huge section of building coming away, the ceiling also collapsing to reveal the sky. He fell with him, seething with rage. "And this is for Lucy! **Thunder-Flame Dragon's Roar!**"

"W-wait a minute!" Lucy cried as the building was coming apart in a titanic ball of fire and lightning. Lucy, Levy and Wendy turned to run as the floor gave way. In swooped three shapes and the trio of girls found themselves borne aloft by the three Exceeds, up and away from the attack.

"What would you and Natsu do without me?" Happy asked cheekily.

"Probably get in all sorts of trouble!" Lucy replied, smile beaming with the relief and joy of the moment. Looking down, the mansion was a ruin. She could see Natsu and Gajeel applying a few 'finishing touches' to Alexander and looked up slightly to see Ophiuchus smiling at her. He began to vanish, returning to his world.

_**If you need to talk, princess, I will be listening.**_

"Thank you, Ophiuchus!"

**A/N: Do people like the direction I took Ophiuchus? I was using the actual history of the constellation, and his hair is supposed to evoke the feel of the ancient Greeks, though I went for Japanese weaponry. I wanna try and draw a pic of his human form – we'll see.**

**BTW, try reading the final fight to 'Fairy Tail Victory Theme'. It's how I wrote it! Gihi!**


	6. The Celestial King

**The Thirteenth Key**

**Chapter 6**

**The Celestial King**

"You bastards! How dare you stand in my way!?"

"Shaddup!" Gajeel headbutted the bound man, knocking him onto his back.

"This is my power! I won't give it up! I won't!"

"That is Igneel's power!" Natsu shouted, grabbing Alexander and righting him again. "The second that Luce and Levy figure out how to correct this spell, you're losing all of it!"

"My library has over a thousand books, and you blew half of them up!" Alexander grinned triumphantly. "Do you really think that they can figure out the counterspell?"

Natsu was about to retort when Gajeel kneeled down, pressing his face into the demi-dragon's. "Listen punk. They've been gone for ten minutes. My Shrimp will have read every book you own by now. She can do it!"

**===][===**

"I can't do it!" Levy wailed, standing amongst the literary destruction. "There's just not enough left!"

"This is a problem," Lucy said thoughtfully. They were up against a time limit here. If the spell went unchecked, Alexander would just grow more and more powerful. Even ignoring the problem of Igneel potentially dying, there was the threat of Alexander eventually overpowering them.

The two girls blinked as the area underneath them was suddenly turned into a large magical seal, radiating golden light. They balked, recognizing it as the same way Virgo had once transported them to the celestial world. Levy just had enough time to throw her arms around Lucy before they vanished.

They landed with a distressed squeal on the ground, the laws of comedy depositing the smaller girl on the bottom of the two-person pile. There was a brief squabble as they disentangled themselves, and then they looked up.

The Celestial King stood over them. They gawked at him, tremendous and terrifying, his starry cloak flowing upon an ethereal breeze.

"**Tell me, old friend, why did you decide to go against our laws? Why did you contact the serpent? Why did you cast an illegal spell that damages the life of another? Answer me!**"

Levy was trembling before the king's wrath, vaguely feeling like a bug to be stepped on. Lucy on the other hand stepped forward, face flaring violently red.

"Listen, you big oaf! They are your laws, not mine! I am free to pursue any spirit that I wish! And Ophiuchus did nothing wrong! Your laws are outdated and as pig-headed as yourself! I cast that spell to save my friend and I am trying to fix my mistake! At least before you called me here, you BAKA!"

"So this is how I die," Levy moaned, watching the king regard Lucy silently.

"**Well said, my old friend!**" The king declared, making the girls jump with the release of all of their tension. "**It takes a lot for this old fool to admit that he was wrong, but thank you. Due to your efforts the thirteen spirits of the ecliptic zodiac have become one again. I thank you.**"

"I…It's alright," Lucy stammered, blushing slightly.

"**There is a party, but with the time difference, you must not linger. Cruz!**"

The spirit of the northern star appeared, thrusting two books into Levy's hands. One included details of how to reverse the spell she had cast on Alexander. The other was supposed to be a surprise of some kind. Levy flicked through it, but she couldn't read it. What a great gift! She thrilled over it, looking forward to the chance to decipher it.

"**Farewell, my old friend!**"

"Goodbye! I hope to see you again!" Lucy called.

"**You will soon,**" the king replied. Before she could ask what he meant, they were back in the library. Gajeel was there, staring with a wide mouth.

"Where have you been!? It's been three hours!" He raged.

"Sorry!" Lucy cried, hurrying to study the spell.

**===][===**

Things went rather quickly after that. With only a brief amount of reading, Lucy was able to learn the counterspell and quickly cast it on Alexander. He screamed with rage the entire time, held firmly in place by the two slayers. His scales and wings receded, his muscles withering.

"Damn you all," he hissed, head hung as Wendy began to tend to his injuries. Bereft of Igneel's power, his beating might prove serious for his life. "I deserve more! I am better than you! I promise you, blondie, I will have my revenge on you!"

Natsu stepped into his face, glaring with anger. "You got a problem? You hurt my dad, you hurt my girl. You want revenge? Try me sometime, big guy. I'm ready for you!"

"You got it, spawn of Igneel! I'll take my hate out on you!"

"You notice that he said 'my girl'?" Gajeel whispered to Levy. She shushed him irritably for potentially ruining the moment, remembering to tease Lucy about that later. Members from the council came to arrest Alexander. The entire time that he was being carted off, he and Natsu never stopped glaring at one another.

**===][===**

They returned to the hotel that the girls had been using, renting out a couple more rooms. After a bit of underhand plotting from Levy, she arranged it so that Natsu and Lucy had one room, she and Gajeel another and Wendy was left to look after the Exceeds.

"Shrimp, are you gonna use the shower?" Gajeel asked. He was tattered, messy and needed a wash, but the prospect of getting his girl all wet and naked seemed like a worthwhile endeavour. Not that he'd actually seen her naked yet. This was a girl who needed to be treated right, but a little perversion never hurt!

"No," she replied distractedly. Never let the sexy times get in the way of a mysterious book! Why had Cruz given her this? Gah, she needed some of her translation tools. On the bright side, the celestial world did not appear to have its own language, so this should be of earthly composition. She frowned as she heard Gajeel suddenly make a horrified cry.

She looked around as he drew a ruined package from a pocket of his battle damaged clothes. She'd never seen him so close to the verge of tears, like a child who'd just seen a toy broken.

"I'm so sorry, I forgot that I had it on me in the fight," he mumbled. She stood up, curious, and reached up to take the package. Had he gotten her a present? She wasn't sure what to say. His last present had infuriated her as much as she'd loved it. She unwrapped the case and opened it, to see the glasses she'd wanted shattered inside. Her breath caught in her throat.

Gajeel was heartbroken to see her features fall. Damn it, he'd wanted to see her smile when he'd given it to her. He'd never seen anyone smile like Levy. Then she was crying! "No, no! Don't cry! I'm sure that I can get another!"

"Baka!" She shouted, throwing her arms around his chest and hugging him tightly. "Why are you saying sorry!?"

"B-but, you're crying," he replied, bewildered by the moment.

"I'm crying because I love you, you dolt!"

"Why would that make you cry!?"

"You bought something for me just because you thought I'd like it," she wept. "Why does someone with a face like yours have such a kind heart?"

"I'm not sure if that was a compliment," Gajeel said with a lazy grin, at least accepting the meaning that he'd purposefully cultivated a fierce warrior's demeanour over the years. He wrapped his sturdy arms around her shoulders, as she was already about as close as it was possible to be. "But if you liked it so much, I'll definitely buy you another pair."

"I don't need you to," Levy objected, burrowing her head into his chest.

"But I want to," he replied grinning down at her and lifting her chin to stare at her. "Only the best for my little girl."

"If you use 'little' there, it makes me sound like your daughter, not your girlfriend!" She replied, giggling. Ah well, she knew how to reward his kindness. Her size was a feature that bothered her, but she knew that Gajeel liked it. She wriggled in even closer. "Ah, but I'm so small! Feel how tiny I am!"

"Shrimp, stop it," Gajeel murmured, face flushing.

"I must be the smallest person in the world!"

"That's it!" Gajeel roared happily, tossing Levy onto the bed and pouncing.

**===][===**

In the next room, Natsu and Lucy were being a bit awkward. Natsu was trying to remember the last time they'd been alone, without even Happy to break the silence. Lucy had just showered and changed into her sleepwear, and Natsu was studiously trying not to look.

"How did you know?" Lucy asked suddenly. "I mean, why did you come to rescue us?"

Natsu floundered. "Gajeel…and I…had bad dreams that you were in trouble. When we talked to Wendy and Charla, they suggested that it was due to our sixth sense as dragon slayers. That we could sense danger in our loved ones."

"So…Gajeel sensed Levy. That makes sense," Lucy said hugging her knees on the bed. "But why would you dream about me?"

"Don't ask stupid things," Natsu responded in an uncharacteristically antagonistic manner. "You know why."

"Do I?"

"It's never been so fun!" He snapped, his angry manner contrasting with the words. "Fairy Tail! It was never so fun before you joined!"

"Natsu, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I always wanna go on adventures with you! There's a giant world out there, and I want to see it all! But it's boring by myself! I wanna see it with you!"

Lucy looked up at his proclamation. Her brows furrowed slightly in annoyance. "You have lots of nakama for that. Erza, Happy, Gray, Wendy."

"You know what I mean."

"If you're not gonna say it, then I am," Lucy replied fiercely, making Natsu wince. Wait, wasn't it the man's job to do this? "I love you, you moron!"

"I'm not a moron, I just seem that way when compared to other people! I mean, wait, what!?"

"I just told you that I love you!" Lucy screamed, standing to face him. "You're the best man that I've ever met! I've never met someone so passionate, so caring!"

Natsu looked at her for a long moment, trying to formulate a thought a bit more complicated than the average one that flitted through his brain. "Lucy. I have a lot of nakama. People that I love with all my heart and would die to protect. But…what I feel for you is different. The same, but more, deeper. Luce, I love you too."

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, relief flooding through her as she hurled herself into his embrace.

"I meant it, you know. I wanna always have you by my side when I go on adventures!" Natsu smiled down at her.

"You know, there was this mall…"

"Not that kind of adventure."

**===][===**

Back in her apartment, Levy was happily working on the book that she had been given. On the desk rested her new pair of gale reading glasses, all slender and trendy. And so powerful! Even she couldn't use them for long without overloading. They were the best thing she'd ever been gifted.

Well, maybe second best, she thought with amusement, flipping her hood up idly.

She got a breakthrough when she realised that all the chapters were in different languages. How odd, it was as if they were trying to make sure that this book was never read. She continued for a long time, the sun rising high into the sky without her realising. At some point Erza barged in to force feed her lunch, knowing that the girl was prone to getting trapped in her work.

As the sun set, she began to realise the enormity of what she had in her hands. This book had the potential to make Lucy the strongest member of Fairy Tail! She had to go and tell her! Right now! She opened the front door to realise that it was midnight. With a gurgling stomach and a sleepy head, she conceded that it could wait until sunrise.

The next morning, Levy huffed her way to Lucy's apartment and banged hurriedly on the door. As it opened, she began to gabble and push in, only to slam into a well developed set of chest muscles.

"Natsu!?" She shrieked, looking down slowly to make damn sure that he was decent. "What are you doing here so early? Did you sleep over?"

"You could say that," he replied a little smugly, wandering back into the apartment. "You could say that I rode the one thing that doesn't give me sickness!" A chair hit him in the head and he keeled over to the floor.

"I leave you alone for two minutes and you're blabbing about our sex life!?" Lucy shrieked, damp and clad only in a towel.

"You've only been a couple for two days and you've already done…it?" Levy asked, facing flushing red like a beetroot. She and Gajeel hadn't done anything yet! Mostly because she was shy on the topic and Gajeel was determined to treat her right, to never hurt her again.

"No!"

"It was awesome!" Natsu laughed making air fondling gestures, before being hit by a table this time.

"Learn some decorum! We do not talk about those things to other people!"

"Not even Happy?"

"No!"

"Ummmm…," Levy stammered, trying to regain a certain level of sanity. Lucy looked at her, noticing the book in her hands for the first time.

"Is that the book that Cruz gave you?"

"Um, yes!" Levy replied, clinging to the conversation topic like a life preserver. "Lu-chan, this is big! The biggest news I've had for a while –_minus this whole debacle_ – and it could make you the strongest member of Fairy Tail!"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked with clear bemusement. Natsu had perked up at the mention of strength.

"Well, I think you were given this because you are the first person in living history to own the thirteen keys of the ecliptic zodiac. It proves that you are ready for the next step."

"The next step?" Lucy pondered.

"Exactly! You see, Lu-chan, this book details the location and the method of obtaining the Regal Key. In other words, the key that would allow you to summon the Celestial King, a spirit whose power is comparable if not stronger than a dragon."

**Sorry for the bad NaLu. I find Natsu very hard to write. Shonen heroes tend to be more like elemental forces of nature than characters. Well, I've finished this story and set up the next one, because I'm loving these short, narrative driven stories.**

**I hope people enjoyed it, and that it wasn't disappointing. **


	7. Another Black Snake

**The Regal Key**

**Chapter 1**

**Another Black Serpent**

"We have to prepare carefully," Lucy stated slowly. "If what you have told me is true, then there's no point in even starting unless I am ready to wield his power."

"But why do I have to do it too?" Levy whined, thinking of the books to be read while she was here. They were in Magnolia's park sitting under the great tree. Lucy was wanting to train to increase her magical power, just as she'd done on the beach.

"Because I'm lonely and this is all your fault!" Lucy sniped, pulling Levy down into a cross-legged sitting position. "I need to increase my magical power more."

"It wasn't my fault!" Levy huffed, blowing out her cheeks. "I just translated the book! And I've only done the first chapter! You know that I have to do the rest!"

"There isn't a hurry to start!"

"You slept with Natsu within twenty four hours of dating him and now you're holding back!?"

"That is different!" Lucy responded, blanching. "We love each other and that means that we were ready!"

"I've been with Gajeel for almost a month and we haven't done it yet!" Levy protested.

"Why?"

"I don't know!" The blunette wailed. "Can we just stop having this conversation already? Let's just do this damn exercise which is meaningless for me."

"You need to increase your magical power too," Lucy stated.

"I've tried, Lu-chan! But I'm not like you! My magic doesn't flow like a tide, it is small and crafted. I have to knead the magic into the shapes of letters." She sighed deeply. It was a flawed argument to a degree – Gray's magic was similar and he could exude enormous amounts of magical power and then shape it. Levy's power was simply tiny in comparison. She never credited herself with the prodigious skill that she possessed in magic shaping that allowed her to overcome her physical limitations.

Lucy began without her and as she focussed, closing her eyes, a golden aura began to form and flow around her. She needed to hold it for as long as possible, to exert herself to the extreme. She could hold two gates open at the same time, but she wanted to exceed that. Surely if she could hold three open at once she could summon the king!

The Celestial King. Was that a real goal, an achievable dream? As the first owner of all thirteen zodiac keys in centuries, she had been granted the chance to obtain the king's power. The power of a spirit that may even eclipse that of a dragon.

The book that Levy had been translating was divided into fifteen chapters. The first, the only that Levy had deciphered, described that the key was split into thirteen shards dotted around Fiore. Each of the remaining chapters described the method of locating and obtaining each shard, each belonging to a spirit. The final chapter described how to fuse the shards into the whole key and summon him.

It was thrilling! To have that level of power, to be level with the likes of Natsu or Gajeel…maybe even Erza! Her aura grew and shone with power as she became excited. Levy gawked, her own concentration spoilt. She couldn't make anything but the most hazy of auras. How on Earthland did Lucy consider herself weak?

Levy blinked as shapes began to emerge in the aura. What was that? Hazy forms of the celestial spirits. She saw a flash of Loke, the briefest annoyance of Aquarius and the serpent Ophiuchus coiling around her. Lucy collapsed, panting with exertion. Even without her keys, her power was reaching her spirits. She was really amazing, Levy thought fondly. I have to work hard and translate the book for her! I can't be the one to hold her back!

**===][===**

Gajeel sat back, panting with exhaustion. He leaned against his bed, studying the creation before him. It was without a doubt the most delicate thing he'd ever crafted with his iron. Generally speaking, his metal-smithing was most simple and brutal.

He held up the glasses case and examined it. It was incredibly slim and lightweight, tailor-made to be just a bit bigger than the glasses it held. In the previous battle with Alexander he'd sacrificed a ten thousand jewel set of glasses to carelessness. He was damn sure that Shrimp was going to keep the current pair safe.

He was eating from a pile of ten different metals, forging the most powerful compound that he knew how to make, resulting in a shiny silver metal. It was pretty in a utilitarian way, unadorned, but well crafted. Light and delicate enough for a certain Shrimp, resilient enough to take a few knocks, even from a Slayer. If he were a more thoughtful man, he might have appreciated how appropriate it was.

He frowned, slightly frustrated with his own actions. He wasn't used to going so far out of his way for other people. And to make matters worse, he was doing it of his own volition! It was his own idea, and hadn't been asked of him. Was this…'whipped'? He thought of the smile that she would give him in return for this present. It was all warm and fuzzy, full of sunshine. He grunted in annoyance. He was the Kurogane! Dragon Slayer and powerhouse! Unthinking brute!

But he _really _wanted that smile.

"Gah! Just don't go soft in public, Gajeel. Remember, one face for her, Kurogane Gajeel for the rest of the world. Jeez, if Salamander thinks you're going soft, you're done for!"

**===][===**

"You're going soft, Natsu!" Happy sang, flying in circles above the slayer's head. Natsu reached up to swat the blue exceed away. They were standing outside a florist's, trying to pick a bunch of flowers for Lucy. Well, Natsu was…Happy was just enjoying himself.

"This is just what boys do for their girls!" He retorted angrily. "Lucy would like a bunch of flowers, right?"

"I don't think that Lucy is the sort," Happy replied. Natsu frowned, thinking that maybe he was right. What would be a good gift for Lucy? Is there someone that he should ask? Maybe one of the girls. Erza? Hell no! Lisanna? Maybe that'd be awkward. Juvia. Ehh…the taste is different. Wendy? Too young. Evergreen? Too adult. Levy? No, she'd tell Gajeel!

"Gah! What is a good present for Lucy? She likes to read. Would a book be a good idea?"

"You couldn't buy a book," Happy replied, imagining the chaos of Natsu in a bookstore. "You'd need someone to pick one out for you."

"I can't ask Levy," Natsu mused, thinking on his earlier thoughts. "Fried?"

"Pffffft, can't you even figure this out by yourself?"

"Shoes then!"

"Not small enough to be a gift."

"But she really likes 'em! And those glasses cost Gajeel much more! Twice!"

"Try harder, Natsu!"

"Dinner! I'll buy her dinner at a restaurant!" Natsu snapped.

"She does like to eat," Happy conceded. "But maybe you shouldn't take her to a curry house. You like hot food, maybe not her."

"We've been teammates for two years; you think I don't know what food Lucy likes?" Natsu asked reproachfully, shrugging in a smug manner. Suddenly he became shifty, his eyes flickering as he thought. "I don't have a clue! Is being a boyfriend this hard?"

"Only if you're a moron!" Happy laughed, rolling around in the sky with mirth. Natsu shouted angrily and chased after him, if only for it allowed his thoughts to be simple and fun rather than all of this stressing.

**===][===**

Levy was in her apartment at night. The lights were on, but she was not. She lay slumped on her desk, the book beneath her. She'd been working for seven hours straight before sleep finally claimed her. She spent a lot of nights like this, waking up at some point to slope to bed.

Granules of sand began to pour through her window, forcing through minutes cracks and gaps in the woodwork. On the other side they began to reform and work together, becoming the shape of a man. Tall and slender, with odd, serpentine features.

Raven Tail's Kurohebi.

Creeping quietly into Levy's main room, he observed the small girl with disinterest. What a boring person. She was neither strong nor sexy, the only two attributes he cared about in a human being. Then again, 'fun to torture' was an attribute he also believed in.

As his hand reached to grab her, his eyes suddenly alighted on her translated scribbling and interest flared. If this was all true, Master Ivan would clearly find it valuable information. She could tell him herself. In a sudden movement, his hands went to clamp around her mouth to stifle any screaming.

Then the entire fucking wall caved in.

Levy was as startled as Kurohebi as she roused from her slumber, a hundred swords piercing through her room like leaves in a hurricane as Erza the Titania roared in. The entire house was magically warded, linking to an alarm in her room. No one harmed a hair on the head of Erza's cherished nakama.

Still, Kurohebi was unharmed, swords passing through his sand-like body. Without a moment's hesitation, he fled, turning into amorphous streamers of sand to escape Erza's physical blows. It was all over so quickly. One moment Levy had been asleep, the next she was goggling at the ruin of her room, bookshelves toppled and their contents shredded.

"My books!" She cried, confused and panicky.

"That snake," Erza hissed, resplendent in her Heavenly Armour. "What was he up to?"

**===][===**

In the darkness of Ivan's chambers, he listened dispassionately to Kurohebi's report through his shikigami magic. The little doll spoke with his vassal's voice, informing him on the failed capture, but also of the impending quest that lay before them. He terminated the link and brooded.

The Celestial King? That was something worth exploring, power unbridled. Since the games, his guild had come under extreme scrutiny from the Magical Council. Their only 'crime' was to cheat in a tournament. Not a banning offence, but they were so shady that he didn't expect – or care – for it to last. It only mattered what use he could get out of legal status before it was removed.

His guild had taken losses in the forms of Flare and Obra. Heaven knew what goal that black demon pursued, but apparently it was done with him. He needed to replace his strongest members, and he'd hit on two raids of criminals due for imprisonment.

The first had netted him four reasonably powerful mages. Lyria, a woman similar to Flare Corona. A beast summoner, Rakarth. A null mage and powerful combatant, Melk. And most rare of all, a dragon slayer. Erutan, the earth dragon seemed grateful for rescue, but less willing than the others. Ivan would have to manipulate him carefully to keep him on side.

The second had given him only non-mages. Fairly worthless except for one. Interesting, but irrelevant. Until now. He called Narpudding to invite him to his chambers. After a few minutes the man entered, striding brazenly over to Ivan's desk.

Alexander, the Edolas form of Igneel.

"Greetings, Alex-chan," Ivan said in his sickly tones. "Allow me to be brief. There are a lot of vengeances that I wish to enact in short order. Perhaps I could simply lump them into 'Fairy Tail', but I do prefer the personal touch. Earlier today, one of my men came into valuable information about the Celestial King. I believe that you are an expert on the celestial spirits."

"I am," Alexander replied with a curt nod. "And if this has anything to do with crushing Fairy Tail, then I'm in. I'll grant you all of the information that I can."

"Wonderful. On my list are my stupid father and son, but first, the traitor Gajeel. My man was supposed to capture his sweetheart, but failed. This affair with the king opens up many possibilities though. However, we will also need to defeat the Salamander."

"You'll have problems there," Alexander said with a sickly expression. "I hate to say it, but he is truly strong."

"Indeed." Ivan stood and strode over to a desk to unlock a plain obsidian box. From it, he withdrew a red orb.

"What the hell is that?"

"Are you familiar with my son?" Ivan asked.

"Um…Laxus Dreyar? Yes, I heard that he was a weakling until he…was…implanted…holy fuck!"

Ivan chuckled at the profanity. "Quite. It has taken me almost two decades to find a second dragon slaying lacryma. This one, quite appropriately, is a fire slayer lacryma. I have been waiting to find the right vessel for it. Someone with a powerful body, but weak magic, someone who hated Fairy Tail and would delight in their downfall."

"Are you saying…?" Alexander asked, trailing off with cautious pessimism.

"I am saying, how would you like the power to destroy Natsu Dragneel? The power of Igneel himself!"

**So, I decided to attach this story to the Thirteenth Key. It also follows from my tale, 'Complicated Emotions', so you may wish to read that for reference's sake.**

**FYI, I got rid of Obra because he is clearly plot important (at least the little black thingy, anyway). But by adding Melk in, I still have a magic nullifier. **


	8. Plans

**The Regal Key**

**Chapter 2**

**Plans**

"Please let me go Gajeel."

"No! I'm never letting you go ever again!"

"But…you're crushing me!" Levy gasped, trying to squirm through the embrace. They were in the guild hall on the morning after the attack in her room. She hadn't been hurt – save for the emotional scars the damage Erza had wrought upon her book collection had caused.

There were a few people around them at this time. Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Jet and Droy keeping a safe Gajeel-length away and Master Makarov.

"We still don't know what Kurohebi wanted," Erza stated.

"I do," Gajeel replied sadly, finally loosening his grip on Levy. "He was after me."

"You think that he was going to harm Levy as a way to get to you?" Erza asked, following the train of thought. "But why? Raven Tail has no grudge against you, Gajeel."

The Iron Dragon shared a glance with Makarov, who nodded slowly. "For some time now, I have been working as a double agent within Raven Tail." There was a collective gasp from the audience, none louder than Levy.

"It is my fault," Makarov put in quickly, lest there be any confusion. "I asked it of Gajeel. I needed someone to gain Ivan's trust and as an ex-member of Phantom Lord, Gajeel was perfectly placed. During his fight with my grandson, Laxus gave away enough information for Ivan to surmise that Gajeel had betrayed him."

"But it's so dangerous!" Levy wailed, hugging Gajeel fiercely. "What if you'd been hurt? Or worse?"

Gajeel shrugged and looked away. "I had a lot of sins to repay. But right now, the problem isn't me, it's you."

"Indeed," Makarov agreed. "A few minutes ago, I received a missive from the council after they interviewed Ivan on the matter. According to him, Kurohebi left the guild and is operating under his own motives. I don't buy that for a second, but it's hard to prove otherwise."

"Proof!?" Natsu raged. "He attacked a member of the guild! We don't need any stinking proof! We should head right over to Raven Tail and start breaking heads!"

"Natsu!" Erza chastised. "I understand your feelings, but they are a legal guild. We can't just attack them without a reason."

Natsu glared at Erza. "Don't you remember the last time this happened? We waited then, and it was Levy who got hurt."

There was an awful moment of silence where Gajeel slowly stood up, murder in his eyes. He advanced on Natsu, slamming his forehead into the other slayer's. "I ain't letting anyone hurt her again, Salamander. You hear me? But you are gonna fucking pipe down and let us talk about this."

Natsu gritted his teeth together, frustrated by inaction. But he could see how tense Gajeel was, muscles straining against his skin as he kept his anger in check. Natsu realised that Gajeel would happily go and kill every person in Raven Tail if he could, but knew that it was not the appropriate solution to the problem. Levy's safety came first, vengeance second.

"Fine," Natsu growled.

"We take no chances. We have Erza looking over Fairy Hills, but we should make sure that all of our weaker members have someone strong nearby at all times. I'll order Fried to add an extra layer of runic defences to all guild dwellings." Makarov paused, considering. "I'll need to arrange a team to observe Raven Tail, preferably one that won't run in and start needless fights."

"The Strauss siblings would make a decent combination of combat power and level-headedness," Erza suggested, forcibly stuffing Natsu into a chair to prevent him from volunteering. "Perhaps Gray and Juvia or the Raijinshuu?"

As they discussed the problem, Levy felt a little detached from the group. If she were stronger, this wouldn't be a problem. Gajeel wouldn't have to look after Mira or Erza, both warrior-queens more suitable for the slayer.

"He loves you, you nitwit," Lucy said as she sat next to Levy, expertly reading the flow of her thoughts.

"I know," Levy replied quietly. "I just wish that he didn't feel like he had to defend me from the whole world."

"Don't joke; he's probably happiest this way. Gajeel needs a way to keep his violence in check, and using it to protect someone is probably the best thing for him." Lucy looked up as she noticed Jet and Droy slowly sliding into the picture, finally pouncing on Levy in a group hug, babbling about how they were worried about her.

"OI!" Gajeel shouted, making Jet and Droy freeze. "Don't let her outta your sight! It's your job to look after her too! If she isn't in my sight, she better damn well be in yours!"

**===][===**

"**Fire Dragon's Wing!**"

"**Earth Dragon's Talon!**"

The room was vast and dark, the walls invisible even to their enhanced slayer senses. Utterly wrong footed by his opponent's strength, Erutan was forced back blow by blow, giving ground grudgingly. Alexander was laughing with the thrill of his new found powers, driving far too hard. Erutan ground his teeth together and waited. Finally, he saw Alexander stagger and smashed him to the floor.

"You need to hold back more," he advised. "You need more time to adjust to the implanted lacryma."

"Fuck you. I can do what I want. Don't mistake me for a mere human," Alexander retorted, though not actually getting up.

"Don't treat the power of the dragons so lightly," Erutan growled, allowing his annoyance to show. Alexander stared back with an icy glare, slowly getting to his feet.

"It is my birthright. I'm not some stray orphan taken in like a lost puppy."

"No, you're a powerless nothing if not for Ivan," the earth dragon retorted, not allowing the other man to rattle him with his spiteful words. "How is your home? Oh, that's right; it's on the other side of reality!"

"Shut the fuck up! Edolas or Earthland; it makes no difference to me. The only thing that matters is power. I will master this lacryma and destroy Dragneel!"

"Yeah, good luck with that," Erutan replied with a lopsided grin. "He's fucking invincible."

"Whose side are you on?" Alexander snapped, glowering. "Who do you swear allegiance to?"

"The same person as you. Myself." Erutan turned to leave. "I'm grateful to Ivan for rescuing me from a life in prison, but this is a job, not a family. I'll play his little game for now, but once we're done, I'm outta here."

Alexander watched him go, disappearing into the gloom. He listened as a door opened and closed, footsteps fading away. "He'll be trouble."

A short figure emerged from the darkness. "Don't worry," said Narpuding in his greasy manner. "We'll make sure that everything goes smoothly. There's nothing that Master Ivan can do quite like manipulation. But he is right, you should rest. We have plenty of time. Fairy Tail is nigh invincible. A few days, weeks, months are nothing to ensure success."

**===][===**

Indeed, a week did pass in which Fairy Tail agonisingly watched the clock tick by, waiting for some attack, an ambush in a dark alley. Then the news came through, completely unexpected.

"Kurohebi had been arrested," Makarov relayed with some surprise. "He attempted to rob a bank and was caught by Lamia Scale mages. He has given a full confession which supports the notion that he left Raven Tail and attacked Levy on some petty grudge against Gajeel. But, he's now safely locked away."

"This stinks," Gajeel growled as the guild dispersed back to normal function, leaving the pair at a table together in the guild hall.

"No, it's good," Levy objected. "It means that it's over."

Gajeel continued to simmer. It didn't sit right. Why leave an evil guild to commit crime? Raven Tail's legal status was a fucking joke! And he wanted to smack the snake's face in for daring to – his thoughts trailed off as Levy's delicate fingers entwined around his hand.

"I'm safe," she said softly, and Gajeel felt the tension flow out of him. She was safe. She wasn't going to get hurt again because of him. It was over.

"Now what?" He asked with mild confusion. He'd been expecting…something which hadn't materialised.

"Oh! I can start this quest with Lu-chan!" Levy said excitedly, standing up. "I've got the location of the first three pieces down! We should go and get them!"

"Oi, you're going too?" Gajeel asked.

"Of course! Lu-chan needs…well, not needs…well, I want…I WANNA GO!"

"But, it's not a job! You're not going to get paid for it!" Gajeel protested.

"My nakama can use some help; that's all that matters," Levy stated, becoming defiant. She was not going to let Gajeel coddle her like some small child. She was an adult and a guild member; she could go on dangerous quests if she chose.

"It's Lucy and Salamander, I'm sure that they can handle it."

"You don't want me to go," Levy asserted, cutting through the crap. "Give me one good reason."

"You were just attacked!" Gajeel shouted. "It's not safe to go outside by yourself!"

"I'm not going to be alone!"

Gajeel stammered, clearly running out of ammunition. So, in a rare moment of clarity, he tried honesty. "I'm scared." Levy blinked, clearly surprised. "I'm scared of losing you; you're the best thing to ever happen to me."

Levy stopped, not really sure what to say. Then she brightened, that beautiful smile spreading over her face as an idea occurred. "Then come with me! If it's just me and them, I'll be a third wheel anyway; let's go as a couple!"

"You… _want _me to go with you?" Gajeel asked. Levy grabbed his hand and started pulling.

"Of course! Come on! We've gotta tell Lu-chan and Lily and get packed. Oh, and I'll have to tell Jet and Droy, and we need to get dinner…come on! Come on, come on, come on!"

**===][===**

"Master Ivan, we have reports that a group of Fairy Tail mages is monitoring the guild from afar," Narpuding reported as he entered the master's office, bowing low.

"Then it is a shame that they'll never see us leave," Ivan replied with a faint chuckle. "Is everyone else aboard?"

"Yes. The Corvus is stocked and all crew and passengers are ready. We may leave when you wish it."

"There is no time like the present," Ivan stated, leading Narpuding to a room with a large teleportation array, a vast green lacryma glowing with magical power as they were transported to another, identical room. But this room was not in the guild. It was in the Corvus.

The Corvus. A vast airship of a similar model to that Hades used to assault Tenroujima. It lacked any heavy weaponry such as the Jupiter focussing cannon, but it was faster, and more importantly, invisible to the naked eye. It hovered unseen above Raven Tail's guild hall.

"Welcome aboard, Master," Kurohebi greeted, bowing low. The Kurohebi that had been arrested was a doppelganger, a mannequin wrapped in an illusion made by Ivan and supported by a Lacryma at its core. It would serve his prison sentence for at least a month before losing power. "Our reports say that a group has just left Fairy Tail, including Lucy Heartphilia and two of the Slayers. Gajeel Redfox and Natsu Dragneel. Our course is laid in."

"Fantastic!" Ivan enthused. "I trust our passengers are settled?"

Kurohebi smiled in a most disturbing way. "Our slayer friend is confined to the privy with motion sickness, but otherwise, yes."

"Then let us be away! To Fairy Tail's demise! I look forward to seeing our old friend again. I must repay him in full the debt that we owe him. Gajeel-chan."

"Then you might be interested to hear that apart from their Exceeds, the final mage in the group is his girl." He hissed, amused. "A little weakling, easy to capture, easy to abuse."

"Everything goes our way! I will destroy them all, but first I wonder how Gajeel-chan will enjoy seeing the most important person in his life torn to pieces." Ivan began to chuckle, turning into roaring laughter that shook his shoulders and echoed to the corners of the Corvus.

**===][===**

"So, this is where we are going?" Lucy asked, pointing to a mountainous region on the map spread out on the table in their compartment. Across from them, Natsu and Gajeel squirmed in discomfort as the train rattled and rolled on its rails.

"My understanding is that we will find three key pieces there. They belong to Aries, Taurus and Gemini. The books don't detail what exactly, but it seems that we'll have to overcome some kind of challenge to obtain the pieces."

Lily and Happy were standing on the table, looking down at the map. "Wait, do you mean the spirits will give us a challenge?"

"Yep. It seems that the key has the power to manifest the spirits even without Lu-chan. You have to understand that the Regal Key is the most important and powerful artefact of the celestial world." Levy squealed happily. "Soon, Lu-chan will be one of the strongest guild members!"

"Stop," Lucy replied with embarrassment, cheeks burning.

"I wanna fight the king," Natsu said weakly, trying to follow the conversation. "He sounds really strong!"

"I'll fight the winner," Gajeel replied, hand over his mouth.

"You two couldn't beat kittens," Happy said, dancing on the table. Lily chuckled. How could this pathetic pair be so mighty?

"Don't worry, nothing bad is gonna happen!" Levy chirped.

**===][===**

It was awful, disastrous, crushing. None had expected such a horrible fate to befall them. Pallma was a sleepy mountain village under the snow-flaked monstrosity of a mountain behind it. It was small. So small that it only had one inn. Which was currently almost fully booked.

"There's one room for the four of us? Six," Levy corrected herself, counting the Exceeds.

"It's got a double bed," the receptionist replied apologetically. "You could probably all squeeze in."

Natsu and Gajeel glared at each other with enormous hate as the girls felt despair settle over them. A fun night with their boyfriends had just turned into a battlefield. Merely changing into sleepwear turned into a hassle. The girls went into the bathroom first, while the boys bickered endlessly over minor things. Then they'd competed over who was going to change first. After a best of seventeen game of rock-paper-scissors-ironclubtotheface, Gajeel won going first.

With the boys in boxers and the girls in t-shirts and shorts, it became incredibly awkward.

"Stop it," Levy hissed to Lucy, moving her hands in an hourglass shape. "Stop being so sexy in front of my boyfriend!"

"You're the one being all cute!"

"Did you just look at Shrimp!?" Gajeel whispered, slamming his face into Natsu's.

"Why would I with Lucy right there!?" Natsu retorted.

"You saying my Shrimp ain't sexy!?"

"There's no correct answer to that!" Natsu growled.

"Okay, let's all calm down," Lily said loudly.

"No! Let's fight!" Happy giggled. At the proclamation, everyone started laughing, tension leaving the room. Managing to wrench their male pride away from each other, Natsu and Gajeel went to hug their girlfriends.

"Hands to yourself in the bed," Gajeel said with an evil glare.

"My girl's the one in danger of being grabbed! They're mine!" Natsu declared.

"Oi, oi," Lucy deadpanned, "I think you'll find that they're mine."

"No one's gonna grab me…" Levy whimpered.

"You've got boobs, don't you?" Gajeel replied with confusion.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Lily shouted. "I've got the perfect sleeping arrangement, so we can sort this out!"

This is how it went. Natsu occupied the far left of the bed, holding Lucy a little further in, who hugged Happy in turn. Then came Lily, being held by Levy who was held by Gajeel. A nice little Exceed buffer to ward off unwanted attention.

"Alright, we happy?" Natsu asked, reaching back to switch off the lamp after a chorus of assents. Darkness flooded the room and they settled down. A few moments later, Gajeel's snoring filled the room.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Natsu said flatly.

"How do you put up with that?" Lucy whispered to Levy. But there was no response save for the high-pitched whine as Levy breathed in and out.

"I didn't know someone could snore that cutely!" Natsu exclaimed, getting an elbow to the ribs.

"I snore cutely, right?" Lucy snarled.

"No, you snore like a lumberjack with a bad head cold and a hangover," the pink-haired slayer said cheekily, grinning widely. There was a muffled cry of pain as one of Lucy's extremities made contact with his balls.

"I'll never understand these human mating rituals," Lily noted, yawning and allowing his snore to join the chorus.


	9. The Golden Bull

**The Regal Key**

**Chapter 3**

**The Golden Bull**

"It's too damned cold!" Gajeel shouted. They were heading up into the mountain, which was under a thick blanket of snow. The scene was snow-covered rocks, snow-covered pine trees and snow-filled skies. At least for the moment, the sky was clear where they were. It was beautiful, but it was a nightmare to traverse.

"You didn't have to come!" Natsu snapped, further up the mountain trail. "If you can't stop complaining, then go home!"

"Now, now," Lucy said placatingly. "We're all here to have fun! So let's get along, yeah?"

Everyone was wrapped up against the chill save for Gajeel who disliked wearing heavy clothing. Real men braved the elements! While complaining incessantly about them, of course.

"It shouldn't be too much further," Levy advised, her voice muffled by the scarf wrapped around her face. She had a map that she'd marked as best she could with the directions she'd divined from the book. "We're not heading to the top; just about halfway up."

"Higher than you've ever been! Gihi!"

"Yes, a height joke. Very amusing."

"It's not fun if you're gonna be like that."

"Arrrrrrgh!" Natsu screamed. "Why is he even here!? This is Lucy's mission – it has nothing to do with him! All you do is complain about the hotel, complain about the train, complain about the cold!"

"You complain about those things too! Except you're made of fire!" Gajeel yelled back.

"I said that everyone should get along!" Lucy shouted, making both boys suddenly shut up, pout and continue on up the trail. The tried to ignore the Exceeds giggling together. They went on for about another hour, until Levy called a halt.

"This it?" Natsu asked, eying the mountain scenery. "There's nothing here."

"Lu-chan, can you feel the pieces?"

"Yes," Lucy murmured, her eyes closed. She began to shine with a golden aura. "I will call them to me."

Holding her hands aloft, three golden shards erupted from the ground, hovering in the air. They began to slowly float towards Lucy, but at the last moment a new impetus controlled them and they flew away to hover over a small crag. They began to glow brighter and brighter until they resolved into the forms of Aries, Taurus and Gemini.

"It's true!" Levy cried. "They are using the key shards to summon themselves without Lucy's help!"

"Mooooooo! That's right, girl-without-a-nice-body!" Taurus agreed, making Levy rage impotently.

"Sorry, sorry!" Aries cried. "But we're supposed to test you if you want the shards!"

"If you're ready…," Gemi began.

"Then we'll start," Mini finished.

"I'm ready, but what about my friends?" Lucy asked.

"They can help you," Taurus confirmed. "But no flying magic, so the Exceeds will sit this one out. This is a race between me and you, Lucy-sama-with-a-nice-body! MOOOO! So nice!"

"Taurus! Focus!"

Taurus pointed at a distant mountain spire. "If you beat me there, then you can have our shards. I'm off! Mooooooo!" With those words, Taurus leapt down from his rock and started running. Natsu took a step forward, planning to bring him down but he smashed to the ground first, another Natsu standing over him.

"Gemini copied Natsu!?" Lucy gasped.

"Their power is boosted by the shards!" Levy stated. "We have to hurry, Lu-chan!"

"He's not Salamander, but I get to punch him in the face, right? Gihi!" Gajeel charged towards Gemini, but was sent bowling back by an expanding cloud of pink wool and the distant cry of sorry could be heard. "Gah, it's so fluffy! I can't cut through it! Shrimp, burn me down!"

"But-"

"Do it! **Iron Scales!**"

"Got it! **Solid Script: Fire!**" Levy's word burnt away the wool, leaving Gajeel untouched in his iron skin.

"Lucy, Levy! You two have to hurry!" Lily advised from the sidelines.

"You're so fat you don't run fast!" Happy sang.

"You little…," Lucy simmered as she took off after Taurus, grabbing Levy's hand to hurry after her. Natsu surged to his feet, knocking Gemini back as they tried to turn on the girls. Gajeel roared at Aries, simply to distract the spirit's attention long enough for the girls to get away.

"Switch, Gajeel! I can burn her wool, and-"

"I can thump you in the face! Gihi!"

**===][===**

"Hurry up, Levy-chan!"

"I'm trying, Lu-chan!"

Taurus wasn't fast exactly, but he moved like a freight train, relentless, unstoppable. Levy sent an 'Iron' into him, but it barely slowed him down. So she wrote 'Oil', cascading it down beneath his feet. To both girls' amazement, Taurus slammed his axe into the rock using it as a way to steady himself as he pressed on.

"I didn't know he was so clever!" Levy puffed, out of breath.

"Me neither," Lucy said.

"Come on! Moooo!" Taurus lowed, leaping up a nearly vertical rock face with his axe as a climbing tool.

"How do we get up there?" Lucy gasped.

"Leave it to me! **Solid Script: Spring!**" Levy threw the word on the ground as Lucy pondered what it was. Levy shoved her on top devilishly and laughed as Lucy screamed, the word catapulting her high into the air.

But she was going straight up! She'd just fall back down unless…she drew her Flueve D'etoile, ensnaring Taurus' leg as he crested the rock wall and dragging herself after him. She could see the peak not too far in the distance now and raced as fast as she could after the bovine spirit.

Damn it, but he was too fast, too sure on the snowy slopes. There was no way that she could catch him. No way at all…

"Taurus, if you let me win I will show you my boobs!"

**===][===**

Gajeel and Natsu were panting. Damn, who ever would have thought this pair of spirits would be so tough? Aries in her more powerful state produced blackened wool that resisted Natsu's fire and trapped him utterly in an embarrassingly fluffy prison.

Gajeel grinned, enjoying the violent beating his was receiving. This was much more preferable than looking as silly as Salamander! Still, it was frustrating that he couldn't overcome the spirit. He refused to believe that Salamander was stronger than him, preferring to believe that it was Gemini's power boost from the shard.

But then, both spirits began to shimmer with golden light. Gemini poofed back into its two halves.

"I think Taurus was stupid," Gemi stated.

"Stupid pervert," Mini agreed.

"Sorry! It looks like Lucy has won the race!" Aries gabbled, bowing. "Please entrust our shards to her!"

As they disappeared back into the celestial realm, their shards flew out and were deposited in Gajeel and Natsu's hands. Gajeel inspected the tiny sliver of golden metal, holding it up to the light.

"A lot of trouble for these little things," he noted.

"So don't eat it! The spirits were stronger with this inside. Imagine combining all thirteen pieces into one thing! The king must be so strong!" Natsu smiled and laughed. "I wanna fight him!"

"We should wait here for the girls to return," Happy said.

"No, we can fly; we should help them down," Lily corrected the lazy cat. "We'll be a couple of minutes!"

**===][===**

"We did it!" Levy cried, throwing herself into Gajeel's arms joyfully as they returned to the group.

"My chest is cold," Lucy mumbled.

"Can we get off this damn snow-ridden asshole of a mountain now!?" Gajeel asked loudly.

"Let me see the shards," Lucy asked, and the slayers gave her the two pieces. She studied the trio of key pieces, but they didn't seem to fit together. If these were the pieces of a whole key, she'd need more to find touching bits. Still, even like this she could feel power from them – the whole thing must be a sight to behold.

"This is so great, Luce!" Natsu beamed, smiling broadly. He embraced her loosely. "You're going to be so strong soon, like I know you've always wanted."

"DRAGNEEL!"

The shout was so close, so loud and angry. Natsu had just enough time to shove Lucy away as a human slammed into him, wreathed in flame. He went over the side of the plateau, sliding down the slippery mountainside like a fiery bullet as the man tried to overpower him.

_I can't eat these flames!_

Natsu kicked the man away, getting a brief look at him. He was dressed in a deep crimson bodysuit with armoured panels in a brighter blood red. His cultured features were twisted with hate.

"Alexander!"

**===][===**

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed from atop the plateau. Was he okay?

"Eyes front!" Gajeel snapped, noticing the mages opposing them. The four mages of Twilight Jaguar they'd fought in the dragon ruins a while ago. Erutan the earth dragon slayer, Lyria with her electric hair, Rakarth the beast summoner and Melk the null mage. How had they gotten out of prison? "Trust Salamander! Fool's strong! Now, what do you assholes want? Didn't you have a change of heart or something?"

"Don't be too angry, I just wanted to fight a fellow slayer! **Earth Dragon's Talos!**" A spear of rock erupted out of the ground at Gajeel's feet and he roared in pain as he was hurled backwards.

"Gajeel!" Lily shouted, storming forward as he activated his battle form.

"I know your weakness! **Thunder's Call!**" Lyria shot a beam of lightning into the sky. Not damaging, but the crack and flash set off Lily's phobia and he stalled, trembling. Rakarth moved, summoning a rhino-like beast the size of a mammoth. Horn lowered, it tossed Lily aside and charged at the girls.

"**Solid Script: Hole!**" Levy collapsed the mountainside with a word, making the beast crash down and banished it. "This is bad! The magic cancelling mage is right there! He'll shut us down!"

"It's all happening too fast! We're wrong-footed!" Lucy shouted. Melk, the magic-cancelling mage charged forward, easily flipping over the hole to strike with his bo staff. Levy tried to cast, but the spell failed to materialize and Melk knocked her aside with a yelp.

"The Shards!" Melk demanded of Lucy, hand outstretched.

"What!?" Lucy's eyes flashed. They knew about the shards? How? She could see Gajeel had his hands full with the earth dragon, the elements granting similar fighting styles as they brawled with reinforced bodies. She cracked her whip, momentarily driving Melk back, but unless Lily got back in the fight, it was two on three, and Levy didn't look too well off.

_Lucy…_

"Huh?"

_You have the shard._

"Taurus?"

_Use it! You are the chosen mage, chosen to wield the king's power! You are our queen! Show them the power of the celestial royalty!_

"Yes!" Lucy cried, drawing his key in one hand and the shard in the other. She began to glow with a titanic golden aura. "**Open Greater Gate of the Bull: Taurus!**" Taurus was…different. Clad in a suit of ornate golden armour, laden with magical runes and with two huge horns sweeping forward.

"I don't know what you just did," Melk hissed, "but I'm going to nullify it!"

But Taurus didn't vanish.

"Mooo! My armour has the power to absorb magic!"

"Wait…_you absorbed nullifying magic!?_" Melk shrieked. "How does that work!?"

"Fuck you, that's how! Axe of Aldebaraan!" Axe lowered, Taurus waited patiently as the Lyria discharge lightning at them. Melk saw what was going to happen, but it was too late. The lightning was absorbed into the axe and armour, glowing with power. He swept the axe down, striking the rocky ground to discharge a thunderbolt. It engulfed Melk and threw him backwards into Lyria.

"Lu-chan," Levy said with awe as she got back to her feet. She was amazing!

"God damn it!" Rakarth swore. "We weren't informed of this power! Is this what the shards are for? Erutan! We've overstayed our welcome for the moment!"

The earth dragon was going back and forth at blistering pace with Gajeel, both with enormous, silly grins on their faces. Forcing the iron dragon back a step, Erutan took the moment to leap back and join his comrades. "Give the signal!"

Lyria shot another thunderbolt into the sky and the quartet disappeared in a flash of green light. Gajeel ran over to the spot for no discernible reason other than to check that they were in fact gone. Teleportation magic.

"Taurus, thank you!" Lucy cheered.

"No problem for my nice-bodied queen! Your power is growing and we spirits will grow to match it, Queen Lucy!" Taurus lowed again as he vanished.

"Wow," Levy emoted. "So every shard will grant power to that spirit! Amazing! Ah, but what about Natsu?"

"I'm fine," Natsu said, seething with anger as he clambered up to them. "Alexander just vanished into thin air."

"Alexander? You mean that Alexander? Edolas Igneel?" Lucy asked.

"The bastard has fire dragon magic. How? You cancelled the link!"

"I don't care about that!" Gajeel shouted. "More importantly, why did they attack us?"

"Twilight Jaguar is a dark guild," Levy guessed. "If Alexander organised a jail break, maybe he offered them a job for revenge?"

"But they wanted the shards," Lucy objected. "They knew about my mission."

"Raven Tail!" Natsu roared, cloaking with flames. Lucy balked, not used to seeing him this angry. "They gave them the information! We should kick their asses!"

"You're assuming," Gajeel stated. "And even if you're right, there's no way to prove it."

No one spoke for a while, and Levy suggested going back to the inn to rest. Gajeel knelt down, checking that she wasn't injured, ignoring the two beatings he'd had this day.

"I'm fine!" Levy asserted, fairly sure that her winter clothes must be hiding a livid purple bruise on her left shoulder and bicep from where Melk had struck her. "Just got knocked down, that's all!"

"I'm sorry Levy," Lily said sadly. "I froze when I heard the lightning."

"Don't be silly," Levy said brightly, hugging the Exceed. "I'm a Fairy Tail mage as well! Now, let's head back to the inn! We can rest up, get some food and discuss this more." On the way back down, Levy slowed a little to allow the other three in front of her. She watched their backs with admiration.

The Dragon Slayer of Fire.

The Iron Dragon.

And Lu-chan, whose power was burgeoning, becoming much stronger.

She felt small, tiny and weak.

**===][===**

"You called us back too soon!" Alexander raged on board the Corvus' bridge. "I was just getting started!"

"I made the call to protect my team," Erutan snarled. Even with the Corvus completely stationary he looked a little green. "There was a complication with Lucy Heartphilia's power."

"Indeed," Ivan moderated. "This is fine, Alex-chan. I promise you that you will have your revenge, but we will advance in baby steps. This fight has helped you get more used to your Lacryma, and it has given us intel. In that regard, it is a success. And they do not know that my guild is involved yet, which is essential."

"When the final attack happens, you will have Raven Tail with you," Kurohebi rasped. "But for now, we will stick with the plan. If we can locate some of these shards before the Fairy Tail mages, it will give us an advantage."

Alexander started to object, but Ivan cut in. "Do not worry, Alex-chan. My favourite tool is psychological warfare. They will soon be afraid of the shadows, expecting attack at any time. I promise you, we will destroy them utterly."


	10. Nightmares

**The Regal Key**

**Chapter 4**

**Nightmare**

Back at the inn, Lucy summoned Ophichus in his human form to help heal everyone. While Gajeel was spending all of his time fawning over Levy's minor scrapes, he was pretty beaten up after fighting Gemini and then Erutan. Natsu was a little scuffed up, but was okay.

"What do we do?" Levy asked at last, trying to cut through the tension that welled up in the small room.

"Those bastards were targeting us," Natsu stated firmly. "They were trying to settle their grudge. They aren't going away; they will try to attack us again."

"But they wanted the shards," Lucy objected. "They had more information than they should."

"When Kurohebi entered my room, I had my translations on the table. He could have read them."

"That assumes that Raven Tail is in league with them, and wasn't that guy arrested?" Lily asked.

"He had a week to pass on the info," Levy mumbled.

"This isn't really getting us anywhere," Lucy sighed. "We need to decide what to do. I guess that we should head back to Fairy Tail for safety."

"No," Natsu objected. "They can attack us whenever they want. If we go home, they'll just wait until we feel happy enough to go out again. And they might find us alone. We need to stick together."

"Oi! That's fine for you and me Salamander, but not everyone here is up to brawl on a moment's notice!"

"Gajeel, I'll be fine," Levy said shyly with a confidence that she didn't feel. "Anyway, Lu-chan needs my help to locate the key pieces. I'll stay by your side."

"Gurkh." Gajeel made a strangled noise as his words on Tenrou were thrown back in his face. Clever girl. "Still, we should send word back to Fairy Tail to let Makarov know what just happened."

**===][===**

"Gajeel, are you alright?" Having been able to book their own room this night, Levy snuggled into his side in the darkened room. "You didn't eat half my dinner tonight."

"I'm worried," he grunted laconically.

"I'm sure that you can handle anything they throw at you."

"I'm worried about you, dumbass."

Levy puffed out her cheeks, unseen in the darkness. "I can look after myself."

"Don't ever leave my side."

"Why Gajeel, one could think that you're being a considerate boyfriend," Levy teased.

"This isn't a joke!" Gajeel shouted, making Levy shrink back slightly.

"I know," she replied softly. "I know that I'm not as strong as you guys. I promise to stay close to you."

"Thanks," Gajeel said abruptly. He clearly thought that everything that needed to be said had been said.

"Heey," Levy wheedled. "I don't mean to change the topic…but we've been together for a while now…and I was just kinda wondering…why hadn't we…done…_it_… yet?"

"Because you're not ready," Gajeel snorted.

Now Levy puffed up more. "That's not for you to tell me!"

"You couldn't even bring yourself to say the word 'sex' five seconds ago."

"I, uh well, I mean that I…"

"Face it Shorty, you're too innocent for it."

It was Levy's turn to snort. "You have no idea how many novels I've read on the subject. I am not some naïve little girl on the subject of…sex."

Gajeel grinned and looked down at her. "Then you wanna see my penis?" Even in the gloom he could see her suddenly blush strongly. His grin widened and he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Innocent things should be innocent," he said fondly. "Whenever you're ready."

"I…I wanna be ready…"

"It's fine. I can wait. The most important thing is that I never want to hurt you again."

**===][===**

Natsu flopped down onto the bed, covered in sweat. Lucy was insatiable! Natsu was amazed that she could push even his stamina to the limit.

"Natsu, you want to talk?" Lucy asked. He squealed slightly, terrified of the concept. What did women talk about after sex? Future stuff? Their feelings? "You're thinking about that man and his magic aren't you?"

Oh right, that. Jeez, could women switch topics so quickly after sex? Natsu would have been happy to just fall asleep! He tried to get his 'serious face' back on, to think about this important topic.

"He's using Dad's magic," Natsu said slowly. "I don't like it. "Dad always said that magic comes from the heart, but that asshole only cares about himself. Even if he is Dad's Edolas form, it isn't right. He shouldn't be using it."

"But you can beat him, right?" Lucy asked. "There's no way that he's stronger than you."

"I dunno. He's pretty strong. Didn't they say that Edodragons are tougher than normal human beings? Damn it! Normally I'd love to fight someone so strong, but I don't like him. I wanna beat him. I want to show him that he's wrong."

"You will!" Lucy asserted fiercely. "No one can beat you!"

Natsu turned to smile at her fondly. "What about you? It seems like you're getting super strong now." Lucy began to bluster and Natsu giggled. "Haven't you seen the way Levy looks at you now? It's like she thinks you're a super-hero!"

"I guess…," Lucy replied bashfully.

"Hihi! Think if Aquarius gets a power upgrade!"

"Oh God, she's going to kill me!" Lucy wailed. "Aren't boyfriends supposed to say reassuring things?"

Natsu laughed as he pulled her into him and kissed her passionately. "You're a brilliant member of Fairy Tail! I'm so proud of you!"

Lucy smiled. "Ready for round two?"

**===][===**

On top of the roof, Lily and Happy swapped tales of their owners under the star-filled sky. Lily told the story of how Gajeel had tried to make breakfast in bed and nearly burnt the whole apartment down. Happy skipped and jumped as he recalled the time that Natsu had ran a bath for Lucy – and nearly burnt the apartment down.

"The problem of having fire magic, I suppose," Lily noted.

"And being a moron!" Happy giggled. A moment passed and Happy noticed Lily looked a little morose. "What's wrong, Lily?"

"I froze in battle today. Because of that, Levy was hurt."

"Just a few scrapes, all healed now!" The blue cat declared positively. "No big deal."

"I am Gajeel's partner. Anything that is important to him should be important to me. And Levy's well being is top of that list. He still…" Lily stopped talking suddenly, but Happy started in turn, showing a surprising level of perceptiveness.

"That was a long time ago. He was a different person then. Now he's Fairy Tail's Gajeel! No need to still beat himself up about it!"

"I know that. Levy knows that. It's just him that we have to convince." Lily shrugged slightly. "It's important to him, that's all. I guess it's normal to want to protect your girlfriend, but I feel that sometimes he worries too much."

**===][===**

Gajeel awoke abruptly, instantly realising the thing missing from his bed.

Levy.

Where had she gone? Didn't she know that it was dangerous to separate? He waited for a few moments. Maybe she'd just gone to the bathroom. But with every passing second he became more and more worried. He stalked out of the room, trying to follow her scent.

It went down to the entrance and outside.

Worried beyond reason, Gajeel charged into the cool night air. The village was a small place, she couldn't have gone far. He hurried through empty streets until he reached the edge of the village, where buildings gave way to trees. On the very border there was one particularly large tree. Gajeel began to tremble as he looked up into its boughs.

Levy was crucified up there, nails driven through her palms. Her small body was covered in blood and bruises, and several of her bones were broken.

"No!" Gajeel shouted in despair. "Levy!"

"Gajeel!" Gajeel snapped awake again, in his bed. He was soaked with sweat and the sheets were tangled around his limbs as he'd flailed around. Levy was over him, looking down with concern.

"You were having a nightmare," she said softly, touching his arm soothingly. He stammered, clearly confused. It had felt so real! He sighed and slumped onto his pillow, mopping his brow with his right hand. "You said my name."

"Huh?"

"You said my name in your sleep," she clarified.

"Oh," he replied in a noncommittal manner. Levy smiled in return.

"I think that's the second time you've used my actual name!"

"Quiet, Shorty!" Gajeel responding teasingly, grabbing her and shoving her next to him on the bed. It was alright. She was safe. Nothing bad had happened. Just a nightmare.

Just a nightmare.

**===][===**

Ivan sighed and sat back from the orb-like Lacryma he'd been working over. Projecting his illusions over such a distance was tiring in the extreme. The Corvus had landed inconspicuously outside the mountain village to allow the slayer to rest. It was still cloaked, of course.

"Are you well, Master?" Narpuding asked.

"Quite. Please have the galley send something up. I think I will require a nightcap to rest this night."

"At once." Narpuding paused, contrasting with his words. "And Redfox, if I may ask?"

Ivan smiled in a most disturbing manner. "You know, it's funny. As Phantom Lord's attack dog, I had no way to influence him really. He was a stone slab, completely featureless and unbending. It is ironic that his relationship with this girl gives me a way to attack his mind, a weakness to exploit."

"Very good, Master. I shall see if we have a bottle of the Cabernet 1745 lying around."

"Very considerate. Thank you, Narpuding." After his minion left the room, he turned slightly to see the other man advance out of the shadows. "No need to be shy, Alex-chan. If you want to talk, please feel free."

"That's a good vintage," he replied simply.

"It's always nice to meet a fellow connoisseur. Please share a glass with me when Narpuding returns."

"This orb, it projects your magic?" Alexander asked.

"Indeed. It is a simply magical focussing lacryma. It allows me to give greater range and depth to my illusions," Ivan confirmed.

"I see. So, this is what you meant. You want to torture Gajeel mentally."

Ivan chuckled slightly. "It is probably true that physical torture would be painfully ineffective against that man. Pain is not something he fears. His mind, however, is small and fragile. Give me enough time and I'll have him in a straightjacket."

"Could you do that to the others?"

"Unfortunately, I am not psychic. I would need to know what they fear to be able to expose it. In addition, if I start giving them all visions they'll quickly begin to suspect foul play. One man having nightmares is not so suspicious."

"I also suppose that Dragneel is too stupid to mentally torture," Alexander joked with a rueful grin.

"Of course, physical torture is much more satisfying," Ivan opined.

"I've never had the chance," Alexander said.

"Remind me to allow you to torture Heartphilia after you've killed Dragneel and we've gotten all of the use out of her that we can. I know that you have a grudge there too. Tell me, once we've enacted our revenge, will you stay with Raven Tail?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'm not used to listening to another's orders. Though so far you have impressed me with your insight. I admit that I was wrong earlier."

"I could certainly use a man of your strength in my guild. It's also refreshing to find a man who appreciates the finer things in life." As if to underline his point, Narpuding returned with the wine and poured them both a glass before retreating.

"A fine bouquet," Alexander said, taking in the aroma.

"It is lovely," Ivan agreed.

"We will kill them all."

"In time, Alex-chan. Death is permanent. It is the horrors that we inflict before death that are to be savoured."

**===][===**

"I don't like this," Erutan said to himself in the galley, poking a few vegetables around his plate. He sat at a table with the other three ex-members of his old guild.

"If you don't want the broccoli, I'll take it!" Rakarth said jovially, reaching over with a fork to nab them. The Earth dragon glared at the beast mage's lack of tact.

"I meant this whole enterprise. I wanna fight people worth fighting. All this subterfuge; it bores me."

Lyria laughed shrilly, her hair shimmering as she shook with mirth. "Come on Eru-chan! Don't you look forward to a spot of torture? I had that blue-haired runt in my clutches before; I hope I can get a better hold this time! She looks soft and easy to break!"

"No one tortures quite like you!" Melk said with an approving belch. It was true in a fashion. Lyria's hair manipulation gave her a plethora of binding and whipping abilities, which then had lightning added on top. Being inside her reach was a most unpleasant place to be. She'd killed more than a few men who'd been stupid enough to sleep with her.

"I've never liked torture," Erutan said with a frown. "Just kill them when you're done."

"How dreary," Lyria said, yawning. Erutan scowled and made to leave. Clearly his guildmates weren't on the same wavelength. As he walked to his cabin he fingered the guild mark on his forearm. What did it mean to be in a guild? Shouldn't there be trust? In truth, they would probably end up erasing their marks and taking Raven Tail's. There was no trust here.

"You wanna tell me why you're following me?" He asked into the dark corridor. Kurohebi walked up to him, clearly not bothered by being rumbled. Slayers had amazing senses after all.

"Just going the same direction, don't panic," he hissed with a small titter.

"Funny thing about sand; it's made up of tiny bits of rock. Don't try me."

"Just wanted to inform you that we'll be setting off at sunrise. I'll have the toilet prepared for you!" Kurohebi laughed as he strode away. Erutan watched him go, muscles tense with anger.

No trust at all.


	11. A Whole New Ball Game

**The Regal Key**

**===Chapter 5===**

**A Whole New Ball Game**

The train pulled into a busy station. Lucy and Levy hopped off, enjoying the feeling of being back in civilization. After them came Happy and then Lily, the two motion-sickness stricken slayers over his massive shoulders. He dumped them unceremoniously on the ground.

"Thanks Lil," Gajeel moaned into the floor.

"What's this place called again?" Happy asked as he perched on Levy's shoulder to look at the map she'd been drawing on.

"This is Talleria. It's a pretty decent size for a city. The shards look like their buried somewhere near the middle. I-I hope that we don't cause too much property damage – Master will be angry."

"Don't worry, Levy-chan. Most of us are used to big repair bills." She leaned down to whisper in the blunette's ear. "You'll have to get used to that if you're gonna date Gajeel."

"I heard that," Gajeel whined weakly, not yet getting up.

"Should we head there or get something to eat?" Levy asked Lucy brightly, ignoring Gajeel utterly.

"I think they need some time to pick themselves up before the next challenge. Let's eat!"

**===][===**

Levy and Lucy watched the plates begin to pile up with experienced amazement. A fish halfway between the two slayers was caught in a violent tug of war and snapped in two before they slurped it down, bones and all.

"Don't do that to my fish!" Happy huffed, clutching his prize tightly as he nibbled away.

"No one wants your raw fish!" Gajeel snapped, ironically shoving sashimi down his gullet.

"Gajeel, please talk with more delicacy," Levy asked politely. He raised a metallic eyebrow and returned to gorging.

"So, we're heading to the central park," Lucy said as she examined the map. "And you say that it's going to be Cancer, Loke and Virgo this time?"

"Yep. The order is proceeding in the manner of the zodiac if you hadn't noticed."

"Two of those are going to be a hassle," Lucy said irritably. "Virgo's always a pain and I haven't explained to Loke that I have a boyfriend yet."

"I'm sure that he'll be fine with you," The bookworm reassured.

"It's not me that I'm worried about," Lucy replied, staring at Natsu.

**===][===**

After eating and making sure that the boys had thoroughly recovered from their motion sickness, they headed to the central park. It was a large open place with a tall statue of a soldier on a column at the very centre.

"I can feel the shards under the ground," Lucy murmured distractedly. "I'm going to raise them up."

"No, wait!" Levy cried, but it was too late. The three shards obliterated the statue as they emerged, the trio of spirits standing in the remains of what was left. Civilians gawked at the damage wrought upon their city.

"Oops!" Lucy cried, laughing weakly. In the middle of the ruins stood the three spirits with Loke in the centre. Cancer stood on his right and Virgo on his left.

"You're looking as beautiful as ever," Loke noted smoothly, pushing the rim of his glasses up.

"Sorry Loke, but I'm spoken for now," Lucy said, holding Natsu's arm.

"I see…then shall we test that he is suitable for you then? Virgo?"

Virgo held out a hand and began to summon a ball of rock before her, crushing enormous quantities of the stuff to make a super-tough, super-dense ball about the size of a fist.

"This will be a game of two teams. The goal is simple. You see that church tower over there? The team who uses the ball to ring the bell first wins. Simple enough?"

"How heavy is the ball?" Levy pondered.

"Here, catch princess," Virgo offered, tossing the earthen ball. Gajeel stepped forward to catch the ball in her place and staggered, almost dropping it. "Is that a punishment?"

"It's a tonne!" He growled. "I don't think the girls or cats could handle it. At least not unless they go into battle mode. Oh, that's right; your cat can't can he, Salamander? It's just my cat who's super strong and -"

"I get it," Natsu groused.

"Don't rub it in!" Happy wailed.

"So despite having more people, we still only have three ball-handlers," Lucy noted as Lily adopted his battle form. That was bad.

"We'll be the ones to make the difference then!" Levy beamed. Happy nodded, ready to help as best he could.

"Thank you for helping me, everyone," Lucy mumbled.

"Of course!" Natsu declared.

"This looks fun, Gihi!" Lily merely nodded severely at Gajeel's words.

"Throw the ball as high as you can, Ebi," Cancer ordered. "That will be the signal to start."

Gajeel grunted with exertion as he threw the enormously heavy ball high into the air. It hung there for a brief moment before gravity exerted its unyielding will and it began to fall again. The six main combatants rushed inwards, trying to be the one who caught it. Gajeel yelled as the ground beneath his feet gave way, Virgo exerting her influence.

Lily jumped, wings sprouting as he went for the ball. Cancer leapt in the way, scissors ready. No, not scissors Lily thought, frantically parrying with his sword as long blades erupted from Cancer's cutting tools. He had to remember that the spirits were more powerful like this.

Natsu and Loke clashed at the centre, hands blazing with flames and light as they fought. The ball fell straight towards them and Loke pushed Natsu so that it landed on his face. Natsu staggered under the impact but stayed on his feet even if he was bent over backwards slightly.

"You asshole…," Natsu simmered with his voice muffled by the ball. Loke smirked and kicked the ball, simultaneously bowling Natsu over and sending it hurtling to the distant church bell. Levy threw up three 'GUARDs' in the ball's path, managing to arrest its momentum and it began to fall to the earth again.

"I've got it!" Happy cried, dashing for the falling sphere as fast as his wings would allow. Lucy cried for him to stop, fearing that he'd be squished, but a chain shot past him, an iron claw grabbing the ball before he could reach it. Gajeel reeled in his grappling hook, placing the ball in his palm. Before he could move the ground beneath his feet lurched upwards and he began to topple backwards.

"I'll take this from a slayer, but not some damn French maid! Lily, heads up!" Gajeel threw the ball upwards towards the Exceed. Before it got there, Cancer jumped in the way, ready to intercept. With a cry of 'Gihi' it became apparent that he hadn't thrown the ball, but had held on to it with his grappling hook.

He retracted it again, spinning violently to smash the ball into Virgo and through the wall of a building. He watched with absolute horror as the building began to collapse and section of rubble landed right on top of Levy. No! No! What…he hadn't meant to…

"Gajeel!" He snapped around and Levy was right next to him, looking up with annoyance. "Quit daydreaming! We've got to stop Virgo!"

What? Virgo? Shrimp was okay? But hadn't he just…the building was perfectly intact. He rubbed his eyes and turned back to the game. He must be tired, seeing things. How much had he missed while he was zoning out? Natsu looked like he was having a hard time with Loke, but Happy had successfully carried Lucy over to trip Virgo with her whip. The ball rolled across the ground slightly.

"Is this all you've got?" Loke asked smugly.

"For Lucy, I've got infinitely more," Natsu raged, becoming engulfed in titanic flame. Loke was smashed halfway to the church by the next punch. The other two spirits rallied around him. They had a chance to shoot for the goal, but had to batter through a hell of a defence.

"Oi, Salamander! I've got an idea!" Gajeel shouted as he picked up the ball. "I'll hold it; you kick it with all you've got!"

"I'll burn you!" Natsu objected.

"Just try it, Gihi!" Gajeel held the ball out, turning his skin into iron. Natsu's flame raged higher and higher as he thought about why he was doing this, of how this mattered to Lucy. He wouldn't fail the person he cared about most!

"**Kick of the Fire Dragon!**" So dubbing his attack, Natsu struck the ball with his foot, Gajeel crying out in pain as it rocketed from his grasp. The three spirits had no chance to stop it as it struck the bell – and demolished the top half of the church.

"Geez Salamander, couldn't you get it any hotter?" Gajeel asked sarcastically, huffing on his white-hot hands. Levy ran over and dumped a 'WATER' over them to help.

"Is this a punishment for failure?" Virgo asked hopefully as she began to vanish.

"Not too shabby, Ebi!"

"I'll let you have this round, Natsu-kun," Loke purred.

"You asshole! I'll have every round!" Natsu simmered as the three key shards floated over to Lucy.

"I feel that I didn't do much this time," she said sadly.

"They're not just testing your power," Levy said, "but also the bonds with your nakama. Now, do you have any matching pieces?"

As the girls began to look over their prizes, Gajeel noticed the crowd of civilians summoning up the courage to protest at all of the damage. Makarov wasn't going to like the damage bill, but he had bigger problems. What was that vision of Levy being crushed? It disturbed him deeply. Maybe he was just stressed from this whole ambush business. He kept on high alert, in case they came again.

**===][===**

"You made him see her crushed by rubble?" Alexander asked Ivan aboard the Corvus.

"It was most gruesome I assure you," the Guild master affirmed, sitting back from his focussing crystal. "But I wonder if I am losing scope. I need to conjure some truly soul crushing visions if I am to unnerve someone with Gajeel-chan's constitution."

"Perhaps you could try to extend your influence over the others," Kurohebi suggested, grinning at the thought.

"Perhaps. I would like some further information on their personal worries and fears. Could you please eavesdrop on their hotel tonight, Kuro-chan?"

"It would be my pleasure," the snake confirmed, bowing to leave.

"Soon, they will be mentally destroyed, Alex-chan. It is then that we shall strike. Though there is a possibility of a minor coup before then. Allow me to explain my idea."

**===][===**

"You destroyed a church!" Lucy raged in their hotel room. "Do you have any idea how much those cost!?"

"You busted a statue!" Natsu countered , not backing down an inch. "That was a famous hero, too!"

"Well…that's different!" Lucy huffed.

"How!?"

"I don't know! But can we stop shouting!?"

"Fine! Sex?"

"Sure!" Lucy threw herself at him, embracing passionately as they fought to remove their clothes.

**===][===**

"They're at it again!?" Gajeel wailed at the wall, his slayer hearing easily able to pick up the pounding from the next room. "I know I called her bunny-girl, but she fucks like a rabbit for crying out loud!"

"Gajeel, please don't be so crass!" Levy cried, blushing like a tomato. Gajeel snickered at her embarrassment. "Don't laugh…I'm shy about that!"

"Why? You're an adult, aren't you? Bunny-girl's the same age as you."

"Yes, but she's an _adult,_" Levy replied, stressing the word. "I'm just a child."

Gajeel frowned for a moment, not understanding the words. "Oh! You mean that she has boobs, right?"

"You don't need to say it out loud!" Levy sobbed. She was surprised as Gajeel crossed the room to her, his mouth finding hers. She could feel his hands place on her sides and start to work up…

"No!" Levy took a step back. "Don't!"

"I'm not gonna do anything! I just wanna show you that you're sexy!"

"I'm not!" Levy argued hotly, looking quite irate. Gajeel growled with annoyance. Not sexy? The little shrimp was making him feel all kinds of hot! He was trying his hardest to be a gentleman, but night after night with her curling into his side…how was he supposed to keep his hands to himself?

_Because you'll hurt her if you don't._

"Damn you brain for being too reasonable," Gajeel muttered. He'd had sex before. He'd been with women in sweaty embrace. This woman was different. Special. Worth protecting, worth treating right. He sighed deeply. He'd need to use the bathroom to alleviate this need, but she was worth waiting for.

"Fine," he said at last, flopping down onto the bed. "And here I thought you were smart."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Levy huffed. She let out a small squeal as Gajeel suddenly dragged her onto the bed and kissed her. She giggled despite herself as they separated.

"Because if you think you're not sexy, you're the littlest moron I know!"

**===][===**

"All this lovey-dovey crap is making me ill," Kurohebi rasped from the shadows. On one side you had a pair so passionate and fun-loving that they consummated at all times, and on the other you had two opposites in a delicate dance to maintain a relationship.

How dull. Where was the argument, the violence?

Still, he'd gained a few ideas to relay to Master Ivan in terms of torturing their mental state. In fact, shouldn't Ivan be paying Gajeel a visit right about…now?

**===][===**

Levy woke from her slumber as Gajeel's hand slapped her in the cheek. It wasn't painful, but it did sting a bit. She drew herself up on her arms as Gajeel writhed and jerked violently in his sleep. She'd never seen such powerful spasms, his eyes flickering.

"Leave her alone…Levy…no…Levy!"

"Gajeel! Wake up!" Levy urged, resorting to striking him across the face. As he awoke, he snarled and his hand went to her throat, choking her.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" He shouted, incoherent. His eyes widened as he realised where he was and what he was doing and he instantly let go. "I'm so sorry!"

"I-it's okay," Levy mumbled, trying to regain her voice. "You were having a nightmare again."

"I was?" Gajeel looked around as if trying to find the source of his woes. "I don't understand – it was so real. You were in danger…a bad man was going to hurt you…"

"I'm safe," she reassured him, patting his arm. Gajeel couldn't help but notice her voice creak, because he'd hurt her. He'd hurt her again! Was he so pathetic that he couldn't even keep this one person safe while in a bedroom together? He couldn't keep her safe when he was the only person in the room!

"It's alright, let's just go back to sleep," Levy soothed, reaching over to kiss him on the forehead. Bless her cute little heart, but the motion did soothe his tumultuous soul and he settled down. But he couldn't quite shake the nightmare, because of the man hurting her. The man who beat her and hung her lifeless body from a tree.

The man who would forever haunt his mirror.

Himself.


	12. Sand Gets Everywhere

**The Regal Key**

**===Chapter 6===**

**Sand Gets Everywhere**

"Levy-chan, is Gajeel alright? He looks a little pale."

"He's alright," Levy replied sombrely as she looked up from the breakfast table. Gajeel had just excused himself to use the bathroom, leaving them free to talk. "He's just been having some nightmares recently."

"That's not like him," Lily said with a measure of concern.

"He doesn't seem the type," Lucy agreed.

"What a pansy," Natsu said offhandedly.

"Natsu!" Lucy barked. He looked over at Levy, who appeared to be despairing and an angry Lucy glaring with an expression that said 'be more considerate'.

"She's such a weakling," Natsu mumbled quietly. Levy's head snapped up, not sure if she'd just heard him say what she thought he'd said. Neither the Exceeds nor Lucy had appeared to hear anything though. Was she hearing things?

"I'm sure that he'll be fine," Lucy assured her. "Just show him that smile of yours and he'll perk right up!"

"I dunno, we're going to have to get on another train," Levy replied with a rueful grin. "That'll make him depressed again."

"Where are we heading for the next three spirits?" Lucy asked.

"We should be heading out into a small desert patch just beyond the grassland. I think it was a lake in the distant past, but all of the water has left, just leaving the sea floor. I'm not quite sure who the three spirits will be. Libra and Scorpio should be there, but I'm not sure if Ophiuchus will push out Sagittarius from his position or not."

"Maybe. That is where the constellation is pushing into the ecliptic zodiac."

"You're talking about such boring stuff," Natsu grumbled. "Let's just get there and fight them. All of your spirits have been so powerful with the shards. Loke was about at my level. I wanna see how strong snake boy is now!"

"Natsu's only thinking about one thing as always!" Happy said.

"Well, maybe two things these days…"

"Not in front of company!" Lucy snapped.

**===][===**

"So, you've started twisting things a little bit," Alexander asked Ivan.

"Yes, Alex-chan. Just a snippet of conversation here and there. It is a quite subtle use of my illusions and it tires me to do it at this distance, but I believe that it will be quite effective." He chuckled darkly. "They shouldn't trust anything they see or hear."

**===][===**

"It's too hot!" Gajeel complained.

"Oh. My. God. Gajeel, you complained that the mountain was too cold!" Natsu shouted.

"This is a desert!" Gajeel gestured to the vast expanse of sand and rocks in all directions. "The mountain was covered in snow! Both complaints make sense!"

"But we get to see the girls in less clothes," Natsu whispered. Gajeel did accept that was a nice benefit. Walking behind Levy in a short skirt was not exactly unpleasant. Not unpleasant at all. Wait, what was he thinking about again?

"It's got to be around here somewhere," Levy said, wiping her brow. The desert was not conducive to easy map reading. Rocks and sand. Not really great for landmarks.

"I think I can feel something this way," Lucy said, striding towards some point that only she can see.

"Blonde bitch thinks she's smarter than me," Levy groused.

"What!?" Lucy snapped, spinning on her heel.

"Huh?" Levy replied, startled. "I didn't say anything!"

She did look surprised. Lucy rubbed her head, feeling sweat trickle down. It was hot, and didn't deserts twist the senses with mirages and things? She must have tricked herself. Levy didn't have a mean bone in her entire body.

They headed off towards what Lucy was sensing. They were in quite an expanse now, about a mile away from any feature. Lucy swept her arms up and the three shards erupted from a great cyclone of sand. Amidst all the dust, Scorpio and Libra appearing before Ophiuchus' mighty serpentine body sprang out behind them.

"So it was you!" Levy sang.

"Greetings, little one. I am glad to see that you are well after our previous encounter." Ophiuchus' voice rumbled forward like a psychic projection, his snake-like mouth incapable of communicating human speech.

"Little!? I am the fourth tallest person in this group!"

"Shrimp, the last two are cats. And if Lily trans-"

"Shut up."

"Wea!" Scorpio shouted. "Are you ready for this competition? This is gonna be a sandcastle building competition!" A silence passed over the Fairy Tail mages. "That's right! A sandcastle building competition! The limit is ten minutes! The team with the tallest castle at the end is the winner! Horologium can keep track of time."

"Fine, fine," Lucy said, summoning the clock spirit.

"The time will begin at the third chime," Horologium stated.

"So we just gotta build up a pile of sand?" Gajeel asked.

"Seems that way," Lily replied.

Chime.

"We can do it, right Luce?" Natsu said with passion, clenching a fist.

"Yes," Lucy returned with a fierce nod.

Chime.

"We have to work hard," Levy stated.

"No one can beat us!" Happy declared.

Chime!

"GO! Wea! **Sand Buster!**"

"**Gravity Change! **Clump together!"

In an instant, a huge column of sand erupted from the spirits, a thin spire pressed together and compacted by Libra's gravity magic. I must have gone up for over ten metres.

"That's not a sandcastle!" Happy cried.

"How do we beat that!?" Lucy shouted.

"By teamwork!" Natsu roared. Gajeel began to shovel, his hands turning into spades. Natsu began patting it down, making a mound. It very clearly wasn't going to work when Ophiuchus erupted from the sands, destroying their pitiful pile.

"Hey!" Levy cried.

"No, this is good. We don't have to build high, we have to outbuild them! **Iron Dragon's Roar!**" Gajeel's attack impacted the bottom of the spirit's tower. It didn't topple though, held in place by gravity.

"Rule violation!" Horologium called. "The tower must touch the ground!"

Libra sighed and lowered the column of sand back down to earth.

"If we keep that up…we can win!" Natsu shouted. There was a distant cry of 'sand buster' and Natsu was flung back.

"They are going to attack us too," Lily said, now in his battle form, helping to pile up more sand.

"Not 'us'," Gajeel noted, promptly picking up Lucy to use as a shield.

"Hey!"

"They ain't gonna attack you, are they? Geez, you weigh a lot more than Shorty!"

"Gajeel, I will kill you!" Lucy snapped. "Once you've won this contest for me!"

"Gihi! We still gotta figure out a tactic!"

Atop their adjacent tower, Libra and Scorpio were still piling on more sand, levitating up with their combined abilities. Ophiuchus erupted from the sand, long enough to bring his head to their level.

"I can't attack with Lucy in the way," the black snake grumbled. "A cheap tactic."

"What are they whispering about down there?" Libra asked, the Fairy Tail mages now in a group huddle.

"Wea! It can't possibly be good enough to beat us! This tower has to be at least twenty metres tall by now!"

The Fairy Tail mages split apart suddenly, Happy and Lily bearing Natsu and Levy into the sky. Lucy stepped forward to prevent the spirits from attacking their location. Reaching down, Levy wrote 'wall' in a circle. With spade-hands, Gajeel dumped sand into the cylinder. Natsu fired into it, turning it and several metres of desert into shining glass.

"Wait a minute!" Scorpio objected.

Levy raised the wall and Gajeel threw more sand inside. Natsu welded it to the glass column. Levy raised the wall. Gajeel threw the sand. Natsu fused it together. Again and again. Higher and higher. A glistening column of pristine glass.

"Hey, they're gonna beat us! Take it down, snake boy!"

"I have a name," Ophiuchus snarled before ploughing under the sands. He'd spring up and smash it from below. Too late he saw something he'd never expected. How did one make a unison raid of two such widely different magics?

There were words under the sand. The word bomb over and over again. Each word was studded with metal shards. When had they done this? On the surface, sand swelled and burst as Gajeel and Levy's landmines went off.

"One minute left!" Horolgium announced.

"Now!" Natsu shouted. The two dragon slayers jumped forward, ready to expend all of their magic in one blast.

"**Thunder-Flame dragon's…"**

"**Iron-Shadow dragon's…"**

"…**ROAR!"**

In an instant the rival tower was obliterated. Libra and Scorpio thumped into the sand as Ophiuchus slid out of it.

"Time over!" Horologium called. "The winner, Lucy's team!"

"Damn it," Scorpio said with a smile as he began to vanish. "Aquarius will be angry."

"Congratulations, Lucy. I am glad that you have won," Libra said formally and politely.

"You now have my full might. Use it well," Ophiuchus said severely. "I will ever stay at your side."

"Thank you everyone!" Lucy cried as the shards landed in her hands. She quickly began trying to piece the nine pieces she had back together. Segments began to join together, forming larger pieces. It wasn't whole, but she had an idea of what it would look like now.

"Um, guys," Levy said nervously, "Is that a mirage or actually there?"

The group looked around at where Levy was pointing. In the distance, covered by heat haze was Erutan, the dragon slayer of earth.

"Bastard," Gajeel scowled. "What's he up to?"

"He's an earth slayer and this is a desert!" Lily shouted. They all began to realise the point as sand was being sucked towards the slayer at a great rate, disappearing down his gullet. That much raw material…Natsu threw himself over Lucy, grabbing Happy with his off hand. Levy found Gajeel doing the same to her.

"**Earth Dragon's Roar!**"


	13. Girl Power

**The Regal Key**

**===Chapter 7===**

**Girl Power**

Lucy coughed, trying to reassert order onto the world. The earth dragon's roar had been massive, sending the group of Fairy Tail mages flying and showering them with sand and dirt. Natsu and Gajeel weren't springing immediately to their feet. They just used their secondary elements, which was exhausting. They also shielded the others from the blast, taking all of the damage onto themselves.

Lily lay a little way away, not moving, back in his tiny form. Levy looked semi-conscious inside Gajeel's embrace. Happy looked alright, having been shielded by Natsu. The pair squirmed out of his grasp.

"Luce," Natsu hissed.

"Stay there. Leave this to me," Lucy replied with firm conviction. She advanced towards Erutan, drawing her keys. He looked amused by the situation.

"I was hoping to fight one of the slayers. The idea that you can even touch me is insulting."

"I'm going to show you that I'm stronger than I look!" Lucy shouted back.

"Aye! She isn't just a nice rack!"

"Happy!"

"Then show me! **Earth Dragon's Talon!**" Erutan surged forward, his right fist becoming covered by his trademark rocky scales. Lucy wasn't scared anymore. Now, she was just angry.

"**Open Greater Gate of the Scale-Bearer! Libra!** Crush him!" Instantly a hemisphere of sand ten metres wide around the slayer dipped into the ground under the stifling gravity. With an enraged roar, he kept going, ploughing on heedless.

"**Open Greater Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio!**" A cyclone of sand hurled Erutan back a great distance, propelled by complex gravity manipulation by Libra. He righted himself and dragged a great furrow through the desert sand as he halted his momentum and instantly began to charge forward again. He could see that both spirits had been banished immediately. She was using a lot of magic at once.

"**Open Greater Gate of the Serpent Bearer! Ophiuchus!**" In his human form the serpent emerged, radiating healing magic over his comrades even as he charged forward to meet the earth dragon. Erutan parried and countered as the black and white blade swung at him repeatedly.

"I'm finishing this! **Open Greater Gate of the Lion! Loke!**" Erutan's eyes widened as the serpent bearer suddenly ducked, to be replaced by the roaring lion, clad in light. A blazing fist slammed into his face and he went over backwards. An instant later Ophiuchus swung back in, cutting him deeply.

He looked up in fear as the two spirits stood over him. "I'm…a slayer…how can you do this to me?"

Still, losing here was part of the plan. Suddenly, Erutan vanished from view. Lucy assumed that he'd used the teleportation magic again, but in truth, he was being shielded by Ivan's illusions. Invisible to them, he slunk away to tend his wounds. Ingesting a large quantity of sand would help.

"Not bad, bunny-girl!" Gajeel said with a grin. He felt invigorated by the healing magic and seeing strength. Maybe she'd be a worthy fight these days. A far cry from the woman he'd captured in Phantom Lord. Lucy practically fell over and Natsu caught her, cradling her in his arms.

"Four greater gates so fast…I'm exhausted," she admitted.

"Just rest, Luce. You were great," Natsu said fondly.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Lily snapped urgently and repeatedly, trying to get attention. "Where's Levy?"

"She was just here…," Gajeel breathed. He scanned the seemingly endless desert to no avail. The realisation slowly began to dawn. "That bastard…this was a diversion!"

**===][===**

It had been a long and complicated use of Ivan's illusions. After Erutan had attacked, he had made Melk and Rakarth invisible and replaced Levy with a mirage temporarily. They had gone in and carried her out between them, completely unseen. When Ivan had cloaked Erutan, he had also dropped the vision of Levy.

Levy was groggy and dazed from the attack. She had been taken before the healing magic had gone off, and she was still hurt. She had been shielded by Gajeel, but she wasn't tough like them.

"How long until the transporter gets us out of here!?" Melk snapped.

"They said that it had a ten minute recharge time!" Rakarth said. They were running for their lives. They had to hold onto the girl until the transporter reset, and not let any angry and protective (and homicidal) iron dragon slayers catch up to them.

Listening to their words seemed to bring Levy back around, making her realise that she didn't have a lot of time. Currently, she was slung over Rakarth's shoulder, but he was expecting her to be limp. With a sudden burst of movement, she slipped from his grasp and plopped onto the hot desert sand.

"Hey!" Rakarth snarled angrily.

"No matter!" Melk held up a hand glowing with green aura. "I have sealed your magic, girlie. Don't fight us. There is nothing you can do."

"You're right," Levy said sadly, head hung. She passively marched to stand right in front of him, looking broken. "Without my magic, I can't possibly hurt either of you unless I was to KNEE YOU IN THE BALLS!"

Melk began to double over as agonising pain slammed into him. He'd never expected the innocent looking girl to do something so crass. But as his head came down, Levy's hands came up.

"**Solid Script: Impact!**" Melk snapped back up, a tremendous blow to his jaw reverberating around his skull. Helpless, he was hit by two more spells from Levy in rapid succession and went down like a lead balloon.

"Word of advice," Levy said to the man. "Anyone is vulnerable if they're not expecting it."

"You little bitch!" Rakarth snapped. Levy was worried, expecting the man to pounce on her. It would have been easy for him to overpower her, but that wasn't his fighting style. Instead, he sprang back and began to summon a beast. A tiger-like beast leapt out of nowhere, trying to maul Levy.

"**Solid Script: Twister!**" A hurricane of letters slammed into the cat, scooping it into the air and dumping it back down several metres away. Damn, she hadn't quite beaten it. It came at her again.

"**Solid Script: Blaze!**" That did it. The fire engulfed the beast, killing it. The mage looked apoplectic.

"How…how can such a weakling like you beat my beasts?" He hissed.

"Maybe you're just really weak?" Levy suggested with a confidence that she didn't really feel. She hated fighting. It wasn't part of her, like it was some of her other guild mates. Hell, most of her guild mates.

"You…you…huarrrrrrrrrghhhhhh!" Rakarth screamed in rage, glowing with magic. Levy took a couple of steps backwards. Suddenly, the beast mage was carried aloft by his appearing beast. And up, and up and up. Levy had never seen a creature so large, like a whale give legs, like a mountain given life. Grey, mottled skin covered it's bulbous body, a wide mouth set below small eyes.

"Hahaha! Behold the Goliath! Go, squish her like a bug!"

"You don't need something that big to squish me," Levy said wryly. Well, Gajeel wasn't here, so someone had to make the short joke. She threw several words up at it, but the beast didn't even seem to feel them. It raised an elephant-like leg to step on her. But it was slow, and Levy simply ran to the side to avoid it.

She looked up, puzzled and began to slowly walk away from it. It ambled after her, unable to keep up with even her short legs.

"It's a bit slow," she called up to the mage.

"Give it a minute," he called back.

"What?" She shouted, unable to hear him.

"I said to give it a minute!" He shouted down at her. The Goliath's mouth began to open and a long, whip-like tongue lashed out, snaring Levy. "Hah! What are you going to do now!?"

Levy sighed and touched the bottom of the tongue, writing the word 'Char'. The appendage suddenly recoiled, burnt.

"What are you doing, you big lummox!?" Rakarth shouted at his beast. "She's like an ant to you!"

"My god, Gajeel is going to be so angry that he's missed all these size comparison opportunities," Levy giggled. In a moment of clarity, she wondered where this confidence was coming from. Was she spending so much time with Gajeel that being in a fight seemed normal? "This thing is too big and slow. It can't hit me."

"But you can't hurt it," Rakarth replied smugly. "Eventually, you'll tire out."

"**Solid Script: Hole!**" The beast fell and even though it was only a short distance, it died. Its own weight was so vast that it hit the ground with terrific force, shattering bones and rupturing blood vessels. Rakarth screamed as it vanished, suddenly falling to the ground. He saw Levy smirking, writing offensive words that he couldn't dodge in mid-air. By the time he hit the hot desert sand, he was a smoking mess.

"How did this runt beat both of us?" He grimaced.

"In fairness, I have no idea," Levy admitted. "I'm as surprised as you."

She felt elated. She was tired as hell and all a bit banged up, but that came from before, not from this fight. She'd taken out two mages by herself! Was she getting stronger? Maybe not. This beast guy didn't seem all that strong, really.

"**Sand Rebellion!**" Levy screamed as sand slapped her onto the ground hard. She looked up at the third man with a grimace. Kurohebi.

"Y-you…but you're in jail!" She shrieked.

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear," he said with that hollow laugh. He reached down to grab her and she was helpless to stop him.

"**Iron Dragon's Roar!**" The piercing drill of iron blades came out of nowhere, slamming through Kurohebi, making him dissolve into sand and be dragged along by the cyclone. Now much further away, he reconstituted, turning to face this new foe with a displeased expression.

"Gajeel."

"How dare you hurt my Levy!?" Gajeel shouted, apoplectic.

"I have no interest in harming her. Only you, traitor." Kurohebi's dispassionate stance was falling. He looked angry. Angry at betrayal. Time was almost up. The transporter cycle would be going off in a few seconds and they didn't have the prize. He tutted in annoyance. "We'll settle this another time."

The trio of mages disappeared in a green flash. Gajeel spared them no further thought, instead running to check on Levy.

"It was going great until five seconds ago," Levy said with annoyance. "Damn it, I could have looked a hero then, now I look a mess. I'm fine though, just a few scrapes." Gajeel raised a brow and Levy puffed out her cheeks. "I'm not made of glass. I can be tough too, I don't need to be your damsel in distress at all times."

"But I like when you're my damsel," Gajeel moped.

"Well, I'll try harder next time," Levy replied dryly. "But did you see-?"

"Raven Tail," Gajeel spat.

**===][===**

"You fools!" Ivan shouted. In response, Narpuding and Kurohebi smashed the unfortunate pair of mages into the floor again with a spray of blood. "How could you let her get away!? She's a weakling and you both lost!? I expended so much magic to get you in there!"

"Hey stop!" Erutan shouted angrlly. "They're my nakama!"

"They are failures!" Ivan spat, overcome with anger. He watched as the two Raven Tail mages laid into Rakarth and Melk with kicks and punches.

"I said to stop!" Erutan demanded, charging forward to grab Ivan. Alexander thundered into him, slamming him to the floor before he could lay a finger on Raven Tail's master.

"I suggest that you calm down," Alexander said smoothly, standing over the earth dragon. "Your loss was part of the plan. You are not in trouble. Yet. They, on the other hand, are done."

"Lyria! Are you okay with this?" Erutan asked desperately.

"They are weaklings, Eru-chan!" Lyria tittered. "They aren't fit to be our guild mates!"

"Nakama, Lyria! They are our nakama!"

"What a foolish concept," the woman said coldly, turning away.

"Kill them," Ivan ordered. "Prove your loyalty to Raven Tail."

"Of course, master," Lyria accepted. As she strode forward, she fashioned spears from her hair. Erutan could only watch helplessly as she murdered her previous guild mates in cold blood. He could hear their cries for mercy. Tears streamed down his face. He didn't care for them particularly, but this was wrong! They were people he'd spent time with, fought alongside.

"Wonderful, Lyria-chan!" Ivan beamed. "If some good has come out of this mess, I am now happy to grant you Raven Tail's guild stamp."

Alexander leaned down over Erutan. "I know that you're angry, but remember the important things in life. Money, power, women. Friends aren't on that list, and you won't have anything if you die now to a stupid misplaced attack on this guild."

Erutan said nothing, glaring back with icy eyes. He'd happily have killed everyone in that room, but knew that he'd not even get past one in his current condition. He slowly got to his feet and left, heading for his chambers.

"He'll be trouble, Master," Alexander said harshly.

"He is welcome to try, Alex-chan! Leave the manipulation to me. Now, Lyria-chan! I want that girl. I can trust you to do a better job, can I not?"

"Of course," Lyria purred. Her hair twitched sympathetically. "I had that mouse in my clutches once before. I look forward to granting her a slow and painful death."

Ivan chuckled. "All while Gajeel-chan watches. And then I will finish him too!"


	14. Water Sumo

**The Regal Key**

**===Chapter 8===**

**Water Sumo**

"Please stop fussing, Lu-chan," Levy implored, now utterly exhausted by everyone treating her like some kind of porcelain figurine. They had travelled back out of the desert and were now in a hotel room, having to share again. Gajeel had refused to let Levy walk, and she had been ridiculously over-bandaged. "It's just a few bumps and scrapes. I was winning until that other guy showed up!"

"Kurohebi," Gajeel spat. "What was that asshole doing around here? Wasn't he supposed to be in prison?"

"The Oricion Seis managed a jailbreak. He could have done so too," Lily suggested reasonably. "I don't believe that though."

"Raven Tail is in on this!" Natsu shouted. "I told you all, but we held back! We should smash their guildhall in right now!"

"But we're so close to getting all of the shards," Levy objected. "And Lu-chan and I beat off most of their members! We should keep going and just send word back to Master. They clearly want the shards for themselves, so we should get them before they do!"

"Shorty's right," Gajeel agreed. "If we get them all, then Lucy can fight off the entire guild by herself!"

"Let's not get carried away," Lucy mumbled. "But I want to get the remaining shards. Aquarius will be angry if I don't get hers. Do you have the location of the next set, Levy-chan?"

"I think so. We can set off first thing in the morning."

"Is it three again?" Happy asked. "That means that there'll be one by itself."

"I thought the thirteenth might have been Ophiuchus, but he was in the order of the zodiac. So I suppose it must be Capricorn who comes last," Levy mused. She yawned suddenly, the exhaustion of the day closing down on her. Damn it, but she wanted to cuddle with her man. Why were these two here as well?

**===][===**

"Greetings, Eru-chan," Ivan greeted warmly as the Earth Dragon entered his quarters. The Corvus was currently at rest, allowing the slayer to move normally. The room was more like an alchemical lab than a dwelling. He wondered how much Ivan dabbled in all kinds of black magic.

"Why did you summon me?" Erutan asked harshly, cutting through the preamble.

"I just wanted to talk. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Fuck you. The answer to the long winded discussion that we would have had is that I have no loyalty to you and would stab you in the back in a heartbeat. But I'm not so stupid as to cross you. I will serve you for now and crush the Fairies."

Ivan chuckled. "Such straightforwardness. It takes all the fun out of the game."

"But it is acceptable to you," Erutan stated.

"It is."

"Then I'm going back to my chambers. I need to recuperate." He turned on his heel and marched back towards the door.

"Sleep well, Eru-chan," Ivan crooned with a crooked leer.

**===][===**

"Where the fuck are we!?" Gajeel shouted.

"Stop complaining!" Natsu screamed, slamming his forehead into Gajeel's. "Every single time! We are in the countryside, Gajeel! It goes on and on and there's just trees and grass. It's boring, but get used to it!"

"I think it's pleasant," Levy corrected.

"Yeah, with the sun and wind it's a really nice day to be outside," Lucy agreed. The wind whistled through the trees, boughs bending under the gentle zephyr. "Is it much farther?"

"There should be a lake up ahead. I think the shards should be there," Levy clarified, peering at the map she'd been annotating. "I guess that water makes sense if both Aquarius and Pisces will be there."

"Pisces is weak to water," Happy noted, playing imaginary hopscotch as he went. "Even though it's a fish."

"My spirits are all odd," Lucy noted with a sense of exasperation. "The lothario, the cosplay-freak, the pervert, the woman-hater…sigh."

They eventually came across the clearing with a massive lake in it. With the trees framing the scene and mountains in the backdrop, it was a nice little idyll. Lucy summoned up the three shards from the lake bottom and they flew to rest on the other side of the lake, on the distant shore.

"Ah? Has the blonde bimbo finally come to claim my power?" Aquarius scowled. "I'd like to see you try."

"Moshimoshi!" Sagittarius said with a sharp salute.

"Hey mum, there's so much water here," the younger Pisces said disgustedly.

"Don't touch it dear," she advised.

"I don't understand these fish," Happy sighed.

"What do we have to do to earn your shards?" Lucy asked.

"We?" Aquarius growled. "Maybe the others wanted to test your team, but I want to test you. I will be your opponent." The mermaid swam into the centre of the lake. Lucy shivered, taking off her shoes and wading in. Going into water against a powerful woman brought back unpleasant memories.

"You can do it, Lu-chan!" Levy called supportively.

"This will be a simple sumo style competiton. The first one to get pushed back to their shoreline loses," Aquarius said shortly. Lucy frowned. She had to beat Aquarius in the water – normally, she'd use Aquarius for that! This was stupid! Ridiculously one-sided! What one earth could she do?

"I'll end this in a second!" Aquarius created a cyclone of water, engulfing the spirit mage. The mermaid grinned as the Fairy Tail mages cried out. It was obvious after all! No one could beat her in the water, let alone some big-boobed airhead. Wait…why was her cyclone getting pushed back? There was water pressure rushing out from Lucy. In a crash, the two water spells cancelled out, revealing a second Aquarius.

"Gemini!?" She shouted.

"Don't be angry, Aquarius-san! But we'll cancel you out!"

"You think I'm that easy!? I'll crush you both!"

"Hmm…I'm not sure if Scorpio would help or hurt," Lucy mumbled, sorting through her keys. But with Gemini in play, she had the advantage. She just needed a second spirit to break the tie. Who would be best to rely on? To push her back…Taurus? No, the personality clash was dreadful to think of. Aries was a defensive spirit. "**Open Greater Gate of the Scale Bearer: Libra!** Make the target's gravity go backwards!"

"Roger!" Libra shouted, instantly casting. Despite the pressure, Aquarius clung on, swimming against the powerful gravity. She cast a cyclone, matching Gemini's mirrored spell.

"You really are amazing!" Lucy thrilled. "So strong that you can match yourself and more! But I have to surpass myself too. I need to go beyond two gates at once. **Open Greater Gate of Ophiuchus!** Push her back!" The black serpent surged forward through Gemini's cyclone and smashing into Aquarius with such force that she was propelled clean out of the lake, landing between Sagittarius and Pisces.

"Moshimoshi, I think this is goodbye! Well done, you might say!"

"But we didn't do anything!" The boy pisces whined.

"No, we watched our new owner's power. We should be proud," his mother corrected, causing him to smile back up at her.

"Tch. I'll acknowledge you this one time. But you better not get full of yourself!" Aquarius barked. The trio of spirits vanished in a flash of golden light and Lucy collected their shards.

"She's so strong now," Levy said with a faint blush.

"Not bad at all, Salamander!" Gajeel grinned.

"That's our Lucy!" Happy sang.

"She's really the best," Natsu agreed. Suddenly, he looked devilish. "See that, Metalhead!? You always go on about how Lily is stronger than Happy, but my girl's stronger than yours!"

"What was that, Salamander? Shorty's much smarter that Lucy and Lily can kick Happy's ass any day of the week!"

"Alright, how about we have Lucy and Lily fight, and then Happy and Levy?"

"That makes sense." The two slayers realised that they were alone, the others having left their pointless argument to go and examine the new shards. Lucy had put together almost the entire key now. It just missed one part left in the handle.

"It's so close now," Lucy said like a child waiting for Christmas morning. She'd only begun to realise just how much this meant to her, how much she wanted this. She couldn't wait!

There was a tremendous sound, like a thunderclap, a huge shadow being cast over the group. They looked up as clear sky vanished, a huge ship becoming visible. It was shaped like a manta ray, with a sleek swept back profile, and the Raven Tail mark was clearly emblazoned on the side. It hovered over the lake like some great hawk…no, a Raven.

"W-what is that!?" Levy cried.

"It's like the one that Grimoire Heart had!" Natsu shouted. A hatch appeared in the bottom of the vessel, and four men leapt to the ground, just shy of the water's edge. Alexander, the Edolas Igneel. Erutan, the Earth Dragon. Kurohebi and Narpuding, Ivan's vassals.

"You were in league the whole time!" Gajeel shouted. "You bastards! I'm gonna beat you're skulls in!"

"Calm down, Iron dragon," Alexander replied calmly. "You have nothing to do with us. Master, please use the transporter."

In a flash of green light, Gajeel and Levy suddenly disappeared. Lucy cried out in horror. "Levy-chan!"

"What have you done to Gajeel!?" Lily roared, adopting his battle form.

"He's fine. He's now aboard the Corvus," Narpuding smirked. "I forget; do slayers like transportation?"

"Not when it has our master aboard!" Kurohebi replied with a raspy laugh. He stopped as Natsu blazed with fire, irate beyond rage. Alexander lost none of his composure, though.

"If I recall, your girl there has expended a lot of magic recently. The cat has a strict time limit. Do you really think that you can best the four of us at once?" Alexander laughed, enjoying the situation. "But let me tell you something good. It took a lot of research, but if you remember, I am a master of knowledge when it comes to celestial spirits. We found the thirteenth piece."

"What!?" Lucy cried.

"It's aboard our ship now. Just hand over the other twelve pieces nice and quiet, and we'll limit your suffering as we kill you."

"These shards are the heart and soul of my spirits. I would never give them over to someone like you!" Lucy shouted back. Alexander laughed again and began to blaze with fire.

"Good. I wanted to do this the hard way."

**===][===**

Gajeel gagged and slumped over. He could feel the motion through the decking. He couldn't summon any of his power. He could feel Levy desperately pulling at him, trying to get him to move. But he couldn't. Such a simple trap, to put him in a place that was moving.

"Please get up, Gajeel!" Levy begged. "T-they're…"

"Going to kill you?" Ivan guessed, ending her sentence for her. Lyria stood just behind him, her expression just as gloating as his. "Yes, I think we might."


	15. The Coronation

**The Regal Key**

**===Chapter 9===**

**The Coronation**

**Author's warning: This chapter contains descriptions of torture. I apologize if you find that uncomfortable, but I did tone it down from what it could have been.**

Levy summoned all of her courage and stood to face Ivan. He almost broke out into a fit of giggles.

"Little girl, surely you know how powerful I am!"

"I remember how Laxus beat the shit out of you," Levy replied sternly. The amusement left Ivan's face in a heartbeat and Levy screamed as his Shikigami dolls swarmed over her, engulfing Gajeel as well.

"You may have beaten those two fools, but don't dare compare them to me! I am beyond their level and beyond yours too!" As Ivan snarled, the assault ended and Levy fell to her knees, covered in scrapes and cuts. She didn't look back, but she could hear Gajeel moaning with pain. This wasn't fair! Gajeel could kick his ass if he wasn't suffering from motion sickness.

"Lyria-chan, please subdue this pest." As Ivan ordered it, tendrils of golden hair lashed out, binding Levy by her wrists and ankles. More wrapped around her torso, dragging her away from Ivan and Gajeel.

"I suggest you be quiet, little Fairy," Lyria crooned. "You might live longer."

Levy spat in her face.

"You little…" Lyria hissed and shocked Levy briefly. The small girl screamed.

"L-levy," Gajeel said feebly, trying to stand. But he had no strength. Couldn't think properly or move freely. Ivan smashed him back into the floor painfully, and then drove a heel into his back. The way he was laying, he could no longer see Ivan, but could see the two girls.

"Gajeel-chan! It does my heart good to see you where you belong – grovelling on my floor for mercy!"

"I ain't pleading for mercy, dumbass."

"Oh? Lyria-chan?" Levy screamed again as Lyria plied her torturous magic.

"No!" Gajeel shouted. "I'm begging! I'm begging!"

"Wonderful," Ivan said smugly and the torture ended. Ivan lifted his boot to kick Gajeel in the ribs. "It's good to see that you know your place. You are an insignificant worm. Nothing compared to me or my guild. Go on, say it. Raven Tail is the most powerful guild in the whole world!"

"You gotta be kidding-"

"Lyria!"

"Raven Tail is the most powerful guild in the whole world!" Gajeel garbled, seething with fury. Ivan grinned and stamped on Gajeel again, eliciting another cry of pain.

"Oh, I am enjoying this! Vengeance is a wonderful feeling, am I right, Gajeel-chan?" Ivan marched over to where Levy hung in Lyria's grasp and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. They were still bright and clear. "Oh? She has some spirit. I can see why you've taken a shine to her, Gajeel-chan."

Levy spat in his face.

Ivan actually laughed. "A strong will indeed! It makes breaking you all the more fun! I wonder how Gajeel-chan will enjoy listening to your screams. You are a very convenient weakness."

"You're using me to get to Gajeel?" Levy asked, seemingly shocked.

"Does that make you feel bad? Does it hurt you to know that you are Gajeel-chan's weakness? As a measure of amusement, I have been manipulating our group for a while now. Did you know that Gajeel-chan has seen you die twelve times?"

"Gajeel," Levy whispered, distraught. Why had he hidden that from her? She glared at the bastard before her. "Why would you do that, you monster!?"

"Because he betrayed me! I let him into my guild, I trusted him! How dare he betray me!?"

"Because you're not a man worth being loyal to!" Levy snapped. "You betrayed our guild – your father and your son! Don't stand there and speak to me of betrayal! You aren't fit to bear the name Dreyar!"

"Please stop," Gajeel groaned. "He'll kill you."

"Oh no, Gajeel," Ivan hissed, finally dropping the niceties. "You two will have a long time before that happens." Gajeel cried out in agony as shikigamis swarmed over him.

**===][===**

Lucy was running as fast as she could. She didn't believe that she could fight both Raven Tail mages in her current state. She'd just used three gates at once and was exhausted. The best thing that she could do was to lead these two away from Natsu.

But could Natsu beat both slayers at the same time? She shook her head. Of course he could! He'd done a similar feat before and he'd do it again. Suddenly, she tripped. No, the ground had shifted, granules of sand under her feet. She rolled and sprang to her feet in an instant, drawing a key right away.

"**Open Greater Gate of the Lion: Loke!**" As the celestial lion appeared, Narpuding and Kurohebi became visible, pushing out of the tree line. Lucy was panting. "Loke, I'm not sure how long that I can hold you here."

"Understood. I'll end this quickly."

**===][===**

"**Thunder-Flame Dragon's Brilliant Flame**!"

"**Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**"

"**Earth Dragon's Talos!**"

Natsu, to his amazement, was pushed back. He began to realise that this pair was far stronger than Sting and Rogue. Erutan was as old as himself but without the seven years missing. Seven years older, seven years stronger. About on par with Natsu's ridiculous might. Alexander was an Edolas Dragon, strong in his own right and granted the power of a lacryma. Natsu suspected that his Draconic nature further enhanced the slaying lacryma's power.

"Good, it's been a whole since I've had a good challenge," Natsu said with a cheeky grin. "I'm all fired up!"

"I hate simple minded fools," Alexander growled. "Life is more complex than your simple ethos states."

"Cherish you nakama. Crush your enemies. I've not found life to be more complicated than that."

"Your nakama…," Erutan mumbled, his eyes shadowed. He snapped back up, tears glistening. "Because of you, they're dead! **Earth Dragon's Roar!**"

Alexander grinned as the spell slammed into Natsu. Clearly the Earth dragon was choosing to vent his grief on the most acceptable of targets. That was fine by his measure; he desired vengeance on the Salamander but cared not for quaint notions like fair battle. The world was more complex than that.

"**Thunder-Flame…**"

"He's coming!"

"Right!"

"…**Dragon's Roar!**" Alexander and Erutan threw themselves aside, but the attack wasn't aimed at them. It went upwards into the Corvus, striking a hole through the aft section, near the engines. Natsu grinned at his handiwork. "It's only right that Gajeel gets a fair fight!"

"I was nervous for a moment, but it's still airworthy," Alexander stated prosaically.

"Then I'll just have to hit it again! Hihi!"

"We won't let you!" The two dragons charged.

**===][===**

There was a hole in the ship's flank now, almost seeming to have been cut by a welder's torch, such was the strength of Natsu's flame. Two Exceeds flew in through the hole. Once inside, Lily instantly went into his battle form and charged down a corridor.

"Lily, wait up!" Happy cried.

"My partner needs me! I won't let him down!" Lily retorted, never looking back.

**===][===**

"Guh!" Blood spurted from Gajeel's mouth as he slammed into the floor again.

"My, my. You really are a tough one, aren't you Gajeel-chan? Made of iron indeed."

"Bastard, if I had any of my strength…," Gajeel promised. His clothes were in tatters now, Ivan's shikigamis tearing at him again and again.

"Threats, Gajeel-chan?"

"No! Please, I'm sorry! Hurt me, please my master! I deserve it!" Gajeel's face was pointed to the floor, hiding the wrathful expression that contrasted with his words. He couldn't bear the idea of him hurting Levy any further.

"Too late! Lyria-chan, please kill her!"

What!? What had he said!? No! No! He watched in horror as the woman formed two spiked tendrils from her hair and plunged them in to Levy's torso with a shrill scream. Gajeel screamed in anguish, but the next moment, Levy was fine. Unmarred, unharmed.

Huh? What had just…Lyria reached out and snapped her neck. No! Gajeel roared again, but then, Levy was fine again. Again and again, Gajeel watched her murdered, only to be healthy again.

"Gajeel!" Levy shouted as he convulsed insensate on the floor. "What's happening to you!?"

"My dear, I am showing him your death a thousand times over," Ivan replied with a chuckle. "Hurting Gajeel may be fun, but in order to truly punish him, I have to attack his mind."

"Why are you so cruel!?" Levy screamed.

"Cruel? Yes, maybe I am. Lyria-chan, please release her." For a moment, Lyria looked about to question the order, but she knew better than to argue and Levy fell to the metal decking. She tried to drag her injured body over to Gajeel. He was in a state, bloodied and bruised and was wracked by spasms.

"Gajeel! I'm here!" Levy shouted.

"How naïve," Ivan said mirthfully, observing their pain with amusement. Levy reached out to grab Gajeel's hand, pressing it against her face.

"I'm here. Can't you feel me? I'm right here!"

"Foolish girl, you cannot penetrate my illusions no matter how-"

"Shrimp," Gajeel hissed. "I can hear you."

"What!?" Ivan shrilled. He watched as Gajeel slowly pulled his upper body upright and pressed his forehead into Levy's. They were both crying, exhausted by their emotions.

"There…was a light…in the shadows," Gajeel sobbed. "You're…so strong."

"This is impossible!" Ivan shouted. He tried to calm himself. They were still helpless. There was no problem here. He could easily – he jumped as the door at the end of the room was kicked in, a large and irate Lily charging into the room. He too one glance at his comrade's bloodied forms and lunged at the Raven Tail mages, roaring with hate.

"You fool!" Lyria cried, crackling with lightning. "Have you forgotten your fear?"

Lily drove his fist into her face and then into the decking. He was so angry that he hadn't even noticed his phobia. His mind had no room for any unnecessary emotions at the moment. Ivan took a glance at the changed odds and fled the room, abandoning his fallen comrade. Lily wanted to follow, but needed to check on Gajeel and Levy.

"Can you help?" Levy cried. "He's motion sick!"

Lily poofed back into his smaller form and sprouted wings. He grabbed Gajeel by the back and lifted him into the air, off of the decking. For some reason, slayers felt their Exceeds to be 'Nakama' rather than 'transportation', and being held by Lily erased his motion sickness. Gajeel felt his strength return little by little.

"You're looking much better!" Levy said, joy evident in her voice. Gajeel's body might have been on the verge of breaking, but seeing Levy's much milder injuries at Lyria's hands drove a wild fury within him. Ivan would die for this.

"Happy," Gajeel growled. "Get Levy out of here. Lily and I are going hunting for someone's head."

"Gajeel," Levy said sternly. "Don't do anything that you can't take back – that's not the man you are anymore. I don't want vengeance, I want justice."

Gajeel glared at her for a long moment. He never understood her strength. To be so forgiving while on the verge of collapse. Despite himself, he grinned. She was his light. He'd seen that clearly. He had to respect that strength, do whatever he could to help it.

"Gotcha Shrimp! Now get outta here, I'm going to get Ivan!"

**===][===**

"Levy where are you going?" Happy shouted as she headed down a corridor at seeming random. "The exit was back this way!"

"I'm looking for the shard," Levy clarified, ignoring the cat's pleas to leave. "You said that they had it?"

Eventually, she came upon Ivan's chambers and began to search. Everything was in disarray, thanks to Natsu's attack. Levy frowned, wishing he hadn't hit the ship with them in it. He did tend not to think his plans through very well. Her eye was drawn to a black box with symbols on it she recognized. She opened it to reveal the shard inside, glistening gold.

"We did it!" Happy cried, suddenly changing his tune.

"No," Levy said quietly, "it's a fake."

"What!?"

She lifted it up. "It's a shard of rock covered with gold foil. Why would it be like this? If they didn't have it, they couldn't fool us with this. Lu-chan would know in an instant."

"Maybe someone switched it," Happy suggested.

"Switched it?" Levy pondered the question. Why would someone inside Raven Tail switch the shard out from under Ivan's nose? Wait…rock?

**===][===**

Natsu staggered under repeated blows, trying to stay on his feet. Alexander grinned, ready to press the attack, but suddenly a hand clamped onto his shoulder. He was wheeled around to face Erutan and suddenly had a face full of rock-covered fist and flew backwards to land in the grass.

"W-what!?" Natsu and Erutan asked at the same time, one with considerably more fury than the other.

"I'm done," Erutan said lightly. "This has gone on for long enough. Now that we've weakened Dragneel a bit, I think this fight should be fair. Anyway, right about now, the package should be delivered."

"Package!?"

**===][===**

Lucy slammed into the grass under Narpuding's assault. Loke tried to drive him away, but Kurohebi pressed in from the other side. The Raven Tail mages were strong! He couldn't last much longer!

Something swooped out of the sky, hovering before Lucy. She stared at it in surprise. It looked like a little dove sculpted from clay. It landed in her hands. On the back a message was written. 'A gift. Sorry for all the trouble'. The clay bird began to dissolve, revealing the item tucked inside.

The shard of Capricorn.

"What!?" Narpuding raged. "Isn't that bird-thing one of Earth-boy's techniques?"

"He betrayed us!" Kurohebi rasped. Not wasting a second, Lucy drew the King's key and slammed the last shard into place. She hadn't completed the trial yet, but she needed the power now!

"Capricorn, please!" She entreated, eyes closed. When she opened them, she was somewhere else. There was only blackness in all directions, though there was still some surface to stand on. The key was no longer in her hands.

Capricorn advanced out of the darkness, bearing a red velvet pillow in his hands, upon which now rested the key.

"Magnificent, Lucy-sama. You have collected all thirteen pieces. It has been over four hundred years since that last happened,"

"Capricorn! Is this a trial? I don't have time!"

"No, princess. I am the final spirit of the zodiac. My role is to teach proper manners, spirit and education, to temper the power of the previous twelve. I see you cry out in desperation to save your friends and I see nothing more beautiful. You have earned my shard splendidly."

"Capricorn…"

"With this key comes the power of our king. To you, who now becomes our queen. This is no trial." Capricorn knelt. "This is a coronation. You are my queen, Lucy-sama and I defer to you as your loyal subject. Here is our power, the combined might of your vassals. Please take it."

Lucy began to reach for it.

"What is this!?" Narpuding asked, staggering back alongside Kurohebi. The lion had gone and the girl had…changed. Her injuries were gone, and her attire was different. She wore a long flowing gown as deep as the darkest night, a million stars shimmering within its dark hues. An elegant crown sat upon her head, embedded with thirteen jewels inscribed with the signs of the zodiac.

She opened her eyes and lifted her new key.

"**Open the Gate of the Celestial King!**"


	16. Almighty Clash

**The Regal Key**

**===Chapter 10===**

**Almighty Clash**

"**Open the Gate of the Celestial King!**"

Power flowed around Lucy like a gale as she lifted the key high above her head. Narpuding and Kurohebi launched attacks, but they didn't strike her, shielded by the golden winds. The sky began to darken, stars appearing in its inky surface.

In that darkness a form began to emerge, almost like a second sky within that shy. It was the king's cloak, and with the sound of a thunderclap, he threw it back to reveal his mighty armoured body floating behind Lucy.

"This is bad!" Narpuding cried.

"Big moustache!" Kurohebi mumbled.

"For the first time in eons, I return to the mortal plain to fight!" The king announced, his regal voice booming across the landscape. Beneath him, Lucy was visibly straining, trying to keep his portal open. It was so hard, but for most people it would have been utterly impossible. "I predict that at your current level, you can only keep me here for one minute."

"One minute!?" Kurohebi exclaimed, seemingly jubilant. "All we have to do is hang on for one-"

"**Urano Metria!**" Said spell was Lucy's ultimate, a spell that drained her in an instant. For the king, it was his weakest spell and he cast it twice, once with each hand at the two dark mages before him. They could only look on with amazement as they were pulverised by the titanic celestial magic spell.

"One minute was more than enough. Twenty seconds is plenty for a king to spend executing criminals."

"King! Please, my friends are in danger!" Lucy cried, struggling with the magic. "On board that flying ship! Hurry!"

The king looked up at the Corvus in the darkened sky, smoke bellowing from the hole Natsu had opened in its flank. There was a sudden pulse of magical power and the king was engulfed by a blazing ball of magical energy. The Corvus forsook the heavy Jupiter cannon, but it still had its own arsenal. However, the assault hadn't even scratched the king. He didn't even look annoyed by it. He was only thinking about how he could attack the ship without killing Lucy's friends. His spells were generally capable of obliterating large areas, after all.

He grinned, noticing a pillar of magic erupt from the ship's prow. Maybe he didn't have to do anything at all.

**===][===**

The pillar was Gajeel's roar, burrowing out of the Corvus' hull. Ivan was carried with it, but he wasn't beaten yet. He landed on the ship's top, watching as Gajeel ascended from the hole on Lily's wings. He saw the sky in its darkness and turned sharply to see the king in the distance.

"No! She has done it!" He shouted angrily.

"Ivan!" Gajeel was only fixated on one thing – beating the ever-loving crap out of the man who'd hurt Levy. "**Secret Slayer Art: Karma Demon: Iron God Sword!**"

Gajeel's blade passed right through Ivan and gouged another wound into the ship. A damn illusion! Ivan was behind him, a torrent of Shikagamis slicing into Gajeel's iron skin as he whirled around to shield Lily.

"Oi!" Lily protested.

"You keep me in the air, I'll take the hits!" Gajeel retorted, shrugging off the concern. Still, he was on his last legs. He was badly hurt from the torture, bleeding from a dozen places. But in his smaller form, Lily was vulnerable to damage, so Gajeel had no choice.

"You are within the reach of my illusions, Gajeel-chan! What can you hope to do?" Ivan's mocking voice radiated from everywhere and nowhere, dozens of images of him now surrounding Gajeel. "I will punish you with the ultimate release of the grave! Less than you deserve, but my time is now limited. Die, Gajeel-chan!"

The Kurogane took a brief moment to hope that Levy had fled the ship as they planned and began to draw on his shadow power. His skin became metallic and his hair whipped through ethereal winds.

"I'm sure I'll hit you if I blow up the entire damn ship!"

**===][===**

"Levy, the exit is this way!" Happy cried.

"No! I forgot that we have to get that girl off of the ship! She was unconscious and might die if it crashes!" Happy could not be more amazed. To call him optimistic was a hell of an understatement, but to concern one's self with saving their recent torturer… Levy had a goodness inside her that few could match.

Suddenly, the door at the end of the corridor flew open and Lyria surged towards them, her damaged face alight with wild fury. Tendrils of her hair reached down the corridor, but rebounded as Levy quickly wrote the word 'Guard' before her.

"Not now! We have to get off this ship before it crashes!" Levy snapped. "We have an exit, so follow us!"

"You Fairies…," Lyria hissed. "I killed my own comrades in order to have a chance to kill you. You think I'll stop now!?"

"You killed your own nakama?" Levy gasped.

"Because you defeated them. Their blood is on your hands."

"No," Levy whispered. She hadn't thought that would happen! She had simply been trying to defend herself! No! She couldn't blame herself for this woman's actions. Even now, insanity danced in her eyes. There could be no reasoning with her. "Lyria. I am getting you off of this ship, even if you'd rather stay and die."

"Die!" Countless tendrils of hair stormed down the corridor.

"**Solid Script: Shrapnel!**" The metallic word splintered and fractured as its name suggested, creating a cyclone of metal not dissimilar to Gajeel's roar. It met the hair and cut it into a thousand strands. Lyria shrieked in surprise as her hair was ruined. "Oh, just shut up. **Solid Script: Inferno!**"

Happy watched with joy as Levy's spell took out the dark mage in a fiery blaze. He didn't think the girl was so strong! But as he watched, Levy fell to her knees and slammed into the floor. She was badly hurt and just used up all of her magic. Happy grabbed the two girls and began to carry them out on his wings despite how hard it was. It was his turn to be the hero.

"Go team little blue things!"

**===][===**

"**Iron Shadow Dragon's Roar!**" A moment after Happy left the ship, Gajeel struck downwards. The vortex of magical power obliterated the front half of the Corvus, utterly defeating Ivan as he was caught in the blast and also creating a whirlpool in the lake far below.

"Still got it," Gajeel said weakly with a lazy grin, on the verge of passing out.

"The ship!" Lily shouted. Gajeel instantly saw what he meant. Through the hollowed out core he could see what he assumed to be the reactor, an enormous magical crystal, about to explode under the damage wrought upon it. It would take out them as well as Levy and Happy in the blast radius, and there wasn't a thing they could do to stop it.

"**Heavenly Obliteration!**" Magical circles encompassed what remained of the Corvus and in a flash of golden light, the entire ship simply ceased to be. Gajeel caught a glimpse of the King vanishing after being held in this world for a total of a hundred and fifty seconds.

"Not bad, Bunny girl!" Now, that just left…

**===][===**

"**Fist of the Fire Dragon!**"

"**Fist of the Fire Dragon!**"

Punch. Punch. Kick. Punch. The battle wore on, blow for blow. It was ridiculously even, with neither side being able to gain an advantage.

"Damn you!" Natsu shouted. "Stop using dad's magic!"

"It's MY magic!" Alexander screamed. "This is my birthright! I am as much Igneel as that overgrown reptile!"

"No." Natsu was firm, resolute. "Dad is a loving, caring person who taught me to cherish my nakama. You, you are nothing more than an imposter from another world."

"Before, I stole his power, but now, this is mine! Allow me to show you what my lacryma can do!" Alexander's torso and arms began to bulge as he activated dragon force in the manner of second-generation slayers. "This overwhelming might is my identity! I shall obliterate anything that stands in my way!"

Natsu smirked, recalling Laxus. "I heard something like that before. You're just like him, hung up on birthright and identities. Who cares who you are? I only care for your actions. You've hurt my nakama. You kidnapped Lucy and Levy, tortured them to assist you in killing my dad and led Raven Tail to obliterate us." Natsu was raging with power now, lightning crackling within his fire. "All because you think that you're special? I'll show you my identity… the identity of Fairy Tail!"

"Yes," Alexander glowered. "Show me your might, spawn of Igneel! **Fire Dragon's Demolition Fist!**"

Alexander laughed as the area around Natsu disappeared in a titanic explosion. Nothing could withstand that.

"**Thunder-Flame Dragon's Sword Horn!**" Natsu surged out of the explosion like an arrow, slamming into Alexander and dragging him across the ground.

"**Thunder-Flame Dragon's Iron Fist!**"

"**Thunder-Flame Dragon's Wingbeat!**"

"**Thunder-Flame Dragon's Talon!**"

"**Thunder-Flame Dragon's Crimson Lotus Exploding Blade!**"

"**Thunder-Flame Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**"

"And the finisher! **Thunder-Flame Dragon's Roar!**" Nearby, Erutan watched as Alexander was defeated with a satisfied smirk. If there was one thing he'd learnt, the Salamander's power had no limits. Emotions could unlock magical power, and he'd never seen another human being do it so effortlessly. That was Natsu's true strength.

He looked forward to a chance to test that again in the future.

**===][===**

Erutan stood before two simple crosses in the earth, his head bowed. He heard footsteps approach, and judging by their weight, it was Redfox's girl.

"What?" He asked gently.

"Um… I'm sorry about your friends," Levy said quietly.

"Don't be. They were fools who weren't going to learn any better." He glanced over at her. She was covered in bandages, as were Natsu and Gajeel. Trying to make either slow down though, was an impossibility. It had been a few hours since the battle had ended. "You're being very kind seeing as the state that you're in."

"Not really, I just feel bad that this was my fault."

"God damn it, Fairy. They were trying to capture you for extensive torture and you merely beat them off. I watched as that sick bastard gave the order to kill them and that sick bitch followed it through. None of this is your fault."

"You don't have to turn yourself in, though."

"I do. I have to pay the time for my crimes."

"We'll put in a good word for you, try to lessen the sentence," Levy asserted. To her surprise, Erutan laughed out loud.

"Jeez, Fairy! For someone so wordy, I bet you can't even spell grudge! You even come to me alone, knowing how strong I am, and you're not scared in the slightest. How do you find forgiveness so easily?"

"I don't know," Levy mumbled, embarrassed. "People deserve second chances. I've seen it before. Enemies who have turned their lives around. Laxus and the Raijinshuu. Juvia. Totomaru. Cobra."

"Jeez, Shorty. Being diplomatic?" They both looked around as Gajeel strode up, looking vaguely like a mummy. Erutan watched with amusement as the girl went bright pink with embarrassment. She had clearly thought that they were alone. "She's also talking about me. A slayer in an evil guild who attacked Fairy Tail. Sound familiar?"

"Now, you are surrounded by your nakama. Do you think I could have that someday?" Erutan asked wistfully.

Gajeel grinned and pounded a fist into Erutan's shoulder. "I don't think, I know." As his fist withdrew, it could be seen that he'd stamped Fairy Tail's guild logo onto the Earth dragon. He looked down, uncomprehending. "You helped to save our nakama. You serve your time. When you get out, you'll have all the nakama you'll ever need and all the pointless brawls to serve your desires! Gihihi!"

"Ah!" Levy squealed happily. "You'll be our fifth slayer! That's so cool! Wendy will want to meet you!"

Erutan looked at the two beaming faces before him, his own expression of surprise twisting as his eyes began to water. Tears leaked faster and faster and he fell to his knees and sobbed.

**===][===**

"Come on, Luce! I want to fight him!"

"Natsu, I am tired. Please leave me alone." Lucy sighed and stretched. At least her clothes had returned to normal. It'd have been embarrassing to go around dressed like a queen. She was also the only member of her party not hurt. Summoning the King seemed to heal her to some degree.

"But I'm bored! Happy and Lily aren't back with the Rune Knights to arrest these assholes yet!" He gestured to where the battered and bloodied forms of Ivan, Alexander and Lyria were tied to a tree.

"This will not stand!" Ivan shouted, and Natsu smacked him in the head. "Ow! Is this how you treat prisoners!?"

Natsu got in his face, eyes full of anger. "You tortured Gajeel and Levy. I don't particularly care for Chromedome, but what you did is beyond forgiveness. You betray the guild, abandon your father and son, plot our downfall and hurt our nakama!"

"My guild-"

"Is toast," Natsu grinned. "I imagine that Erza and Laxus will be tearing it apart right about now."

"You cannot do this!"

"Our guild is invincible. You will never take us down. We have Gramps, Gildartz, Erza, Mira, Laxus, and did you see that?" He jerked a thumb at Lucy. "Our new strongest mage. I'm not even sure if Gildartz could take out that ship in one shot! Hihi!"

"Hey now!" Lucy protested, deathly afraid of being press-ganged into fighting Gildartz.

"I don't care how long it takes, I will have my revenge!" Ivan swore. Beside him, Alexander growled in agreement. Cold blue eyes locked onto Natsu.

"And we'll be waiting," Natsu promised.

**===][===**

"Show me!" Levy sang, hopping and skipping around Lucy. After the Rune Knights had arrested the dark mages and they'd undergone about a day's worth of questioning, they were on their way home, walking through a forest.

Levy's eyes sparkled as she was shown the key. "It's so pretty!"

"It's made of metal, right?" Gajeel pondered.

"Don't you dare!" Lucy shrieked at him, grabbing the key back.

"Yay! Lu-chan's the strongest celestial mage in four hundred years! The strongest in the entire guild!"

"Would everyone stop saying that!? It's not like I can use it for long!" Lucy huffed. "I'm still not as strong as the S-class mages!"

"But you're in the same league," Lily offered. "I bet you could beat this big lunk!"

"Like hell! You and me, Bunny-girl! Right here, right now!" Gajeel demanded.

"N-no… that's okay…"

"Yeah, I wanna fight first!" Natsu agreed vigorously. Lucy looked back and forth fearfully. How had this ended up like this?

"Tell you what," Lily suggested. "You two fight, winner gets Lucy."

"Deal!" Natsu and Gajeel began to wrestle with one another and Lucy gave the black exceed a grateful smile. That would hold for a little while. She turned back to see Levy still gawking.

"Levy-chan, this hero worship is getting tiring."

"But… you're so amazing!" Levy blushed. "I'm so jealous!"

"Didn't you take out three dark mages by yourself?"

"Well… not at the same time…"

"Maybe you should spend less time looking up at your guildmates and more time looking at how amazing you are," Lucy advised.

"I agree," Lily confirmed. "Anyone who's survived this long with Gajeel as a boyfriend is impressive!"

"Oi, I heard that you damn cat!" Gajeel shouted from the background scuffle.

"But I didn't really get to use him much," Lucy admitted. "It seems rare that I'm going to find a foe worthy of summoning him again. Well, he is the King; I shouldn't be using him like some sort of servant. It's a different relationship."

A large golden seal appeared beneath the group. With a few cries of surprise they disappeared in a flash of golden light and were transported to the celestial world.

"Give us some warning!" Lucy shouted as she tried to extricate herself from the tangle of bodies. She stopped in her rant, looking up at all of the spirits she owned, the King presiding over them.

"Welcome, Old Friends! Let us celebrate after a hard battle!" He declared. He'd expected cheering, but the Fairy Tail mages were in a huddle.

"So, doing the maths, if we stay for three hours, that's about three days lost," Levy mumbled. "I'm already seven years and three months younger than I should be. I don't want to lose any more time."

"Agreed," Natsu grumbled, before brightening. "Let's eat!"

To their amazement, the thirteen spirits knelt. Well, the serpents amongst them lowered their heads and Aquarius wouldn't have even if she had knees, but they knelt.

"Guys! That's not necessary!" Lucy cried.

"Our queen is so sexy!" Taurus declared, hearts in his eyes.

"A splendid queen indeed," Capricorn said rather more politely.

"She's alright," Aquarius huffed.

"Sorry for embarrassing you!" Aries cried.

"Is it a punishment for calling you princess?" Virgo, of course.

"I'll give you a cut fit for royalty-ebi!"

"Moshi-moshi, a great queen, you might say!"

"It's so good to be back with everyone, thanks to my queen," Ophiuchus stated happily.

"You guys," Lucy whispered with tears in her eyes. The King responded with a big grin, sweeping his cloak back to reveal the dining hall behind them. "Let us eat and feast and celebrate! And you two!" Natsu and Gajeel quailed under the sudden attention. "Would you like to test my might?"

**I wanted to finish this chapter, but I think that I'll have to put off my final bits for the next one.**

**BTW, my A key is sticking, so please cut me some slack on any typos. -.-**


	17. A Match Made In Heaven

**The Regal Key**

**===Chapter 11===**

**A Match Made in Heaven**

**This is the last chapter for this story. The scene in the bedroom is inspired by a drawing that tohruxkyo100 did for me on DA. Be warned that the chapter goes off on a wild tangent at the end, but I wanted the King to beat someone powerful, and I think I picked the perfect contender.**

"This place is fucking weird," Gajeel noted in his impolite manner as they sat around a banquet table straining under the weight of food piled atop it. All of Lucy's spirits were there, the King presiding at the head of the table with Lucy. "I mean, that's meat. And those are eggs. Where the fuck do they get those here?"

"In forgot that you hadn't been here before!" Levy said, her eyes lighting up. "Ah...I lost three months last time. I was already younger than you."

"Yes, but the more mature one is you," Lily put in, dodging Gajeel's lazy backhand.

"Um… I've been thinking… and what I was… what I mean to say is… I think… at least, I think I am… ready to finally… you know… do…it." As she spoke, her sentence became quieter and quieter until Gajeel was practically leaning in to hear the words. As her meaning became clear, he snapped back up.

"Oh. Oh! Are you sure? I mean, there are a lot of people here!"

"Not here!" Levy shrieked, turning red in an instant. "I mean for when we get home!"

"Right, right. That makes a whole lot more sense. Why all of a sudden?"

"I'm trying to think of a reason not to! When I think about how much you've saved me in recent times, it seems that we really care for each other and all… so, why not?"

"I… don't think that's how it works, Shorty. And besides, the way I remember it, you were the one saving me."

"No, you're the one who beat up Ivan."

"But you're the one who broke through his illusions."

"Which was meaningless unless you defeated him!"

"But you also took out the other girl!"

"After which, you blew up the ship!"

"But we were only saved because of the big dude, who you helped Lucy get!"

"You saved me!"

"You saved me!"

"What the hell are you two arguing about!?" Lily yelled. The pair stopped talking, suddenly realising that they were standing up and shouting. They sat back down quickly with red faces and began eating to cover their embarrassment.

**===][===**

"You have interesting friends, my queen," The King noted from the table's head as he watched the argument unfold.

"You're telling me," Lucy mumbled, trying not to be impolite that the humans were the least bizarre people at this table. She was also a bit worried about the King/Queen thing with her boyfriend right next to her. Not to mention Loke and Taurus' unwanted attentions.

"Surely the male is larger, but the girl seems no less fierce. An interesting species, you humans."

"Yes, we're interesting…" She said to the giant next to the mermaid the sheep and the snake. Who was the interesting species here? "I'm enjoying the festivities very much!"

"We could do no less! It has been a very long time since we had a queen in these halls with us. And you haven't peaked yet."

"What? What more could I…"

"First of all, there is your magical level. The more power you have, the more spirits you can have at the same time. And the longer you can hold me in the mortal plane." He leaned back and let out a very unkingly belch. "And there are other things we can do. For instance, remove your need for those blasted keys."

"What!?" Lucy screeched. "I've just gone on a massive quest for this bloody key and you're saying that it isn't necessary?"

"I wouldn't say that, particularly for my key. The keys are tools. In order to move a spirit between worlds, you need to open their gate. To do that, you must mould your magic into the shape necessary. Each gate is different, much like needing different keys for different doors. A skilled mage familiar with the shapes of the locks does not need the keys; they can shape their magic with their own skill."

"Lucy will do that easily!" Natsu cheered in between mouthfuls. Lucy shakily shushed him. The King chuckled.

"I have no doubt. I will remove your vulnerability from being separated from your keys. Like when you were going to be crushed by a block of ice – Natsu!"

"That was an accident!" Natsu shouted, remembering the beach incident well. Levy and Wendy could've broken it if they'd stopped panicking for a minute!"

"I was scared!" Levy piped up from down the table. "I was just playing in the ocean and then – bam! – there's s giant ice block in the sky!"

"What was that!?" Gajeel shouted, standing. "Did you almost crush my woman, Salamander!?"

"I didn't make the ice! I just… kinda… blew it up!"

"At least apologize!"

"No way! I wasn't my fault!"

"How the fuck was it not your fault!?"

"Because… Gray made the ice!"

By the point, the boys had clambered on top of the table and had their faces pressed together. They turned as the King laughed and clapped.

"I'm glad to see you two so fired up! Now, would you like that duel?"

**===][===**

The arena was a wide open plateau. Stepping stones floated in the sky on unseen magic, pillars dotting the area. It looked it bit too fancy to be ruined. Lucy, Levy, Lily and Happy watched from a floating platform nearby, the other spirits also watching with interest.

Gajeel and Natsu stood before the King, wringing shoulders and cracking knuckles.

"Gajeel, I don't normally say this, but let's work together and hit him with everything."

"I know what you mean. This pressure… he's strong."

Magic began to rush as Natsu and Gajeel began to power up, aiming for their ultimate attack.

"We're gonna give him the Fire-Thunder-Iron Shadow roar!"

"No, it's the Iron-Shadow-Thunder-Fire roar!" Gajeel objected.

"At least put fire before thunder!"

"Just fight!" Lucy shouted from the distance. With am almighty blast, the two slayers launched their roars upwards at the king. The king disappeared from view under the explosion, but neither slayer was fooled and they both launched forward before the smoke cleared.

Both slayers rebounded as they hit an impenetrable wall. A golden seal before the king, the astrological symbol for Aries at the centre. A defensive spell. As the seal vanished, two more appeared in his hands.

"Seal of Leo! Seal of Aquarius!" He smashed his hands together, sending a giant burst of light saturated water at the slayers. They screamed under the assault and slammed into the floor.

"All of our magic, but stronger," Aquarius noted smugly. "That's our king."

"He's as strong as Atlas Fire," Levy mumbled. "But slaying magic won't work against him."

"Oh? You wanna fight too?" Lucy giggled, giving the smaller girl a little shove.

"Lord, no!"

Natsu and Gajeel sprang towards the king like guided missiles. They lashed out with fists and feet ablaze with magic. The king shielded himself with his forearms before simply smashing them away. Again and again, they came at him, ignoring their injuries. At last, he tossed Gajeel straight up and held a hand up. Sagittarius' seal blazed and an enormous bow formed in his grasp.

He reached up with his left hand, making the Seal of Ophiuchus. He drew it back, an arrow forming out of ebon magic and it shot upwards at Gajeel. The arrow formed a serpentine head as it travelled and slammed into Gajeel with tremendous force. He fell to the ground limply.

Natsu struck up from the ground, managing to punch the king in the face as he was momentarily distracted. The king barely flinched before slamming Natsu right back down into the floor. Making the seal of Taurus with one hand, he drove down with reinforced strength. Natsu lay unmoving in a large crater.

"Well, I better heal them," Ophiuchus stated, shifting into his human form and leaping down to the battle arena.

"I can't believe it," Levy whispered. "Lu-chan, you're so strong now!"

"But that fight lasted seven minutes," Lily responded, checking Horologium's clockface. "Lucy cannot hold the king for that long. Three minutes is an absolute maximum for the moment."

"I-I don't know what to say," Lucy mumbled. She couldn't remember seeing Natsu beaten before. He always got back up. Always. But as she watched the serpent bearer heal him, he was laughing. Gajeel too. They both responded to strength well.

"Alright!" Natsu shouted. "Now we gotta test him against Gildartz!"

"Oh, hell no!" Lucy shrieked.

**===][===**

The guild was full of noise, cheering and singing and dancing and drinking. Raven Tail had been destroyed and their nakama had returned home. Lucy was becoming somewhat frightened by all of the attention she was beginning to receive. She could see in the eyes of Erza that she wanted to test her strength too.

Every time Gajeel turned away for a moment, Levy was bombarded by concern from Jet and Droy, who shrank back rapidly the second Gajeel noticed. It was amusing to watch really. Like the tide coming in and out with the moon.

"See that, Gajeel!?" Natsu crowed gleefully. "My girl's the strongest! What'cha gonna do about it, huh?"

"What was that, Salamander? My cat's way stronger than yours, so I win!"

"Oh yeah? That means that we're tied! We have to settle this!"

"You're on!"

"Haven't you two had enough of fighting?" Lucy mumbled as the two slayers disappeared into a brawl. She looked around at Levy, who was trying to get her attention, but was clearly embarrassed. "What is it, Levy-chan?"

"Lu-chan… can you help me with… something?"

**===][===**

Gajeel yawned and stretched on his bed. Goddamnit Shorty, what are you doing in the bathroom? What did girls do in there with all their lotions and creams and shit? At last, the door opened and Levy stepped out. Gajeel goggled.

She was not wearing a lot. She had little pink panties that didn't leave a lot to the imagination. A lilac bustier that clung to her narrow frame and pushed her chest up while revealing her shoulders. Her hair was still tied back by a pink headband. She looked a bit like she was ready to cry under his gaze.

"Is this okay, Gajeel…?"

Gajeel practically choked at the question, failing to form a response. Holy fucking hell! Why was he suddenly so nervous? He'd done it with women before, but this was somehow different.

"Holy crap you're tiny," he said brilliantly, kicking himself mentally as the words tumbled out. Now she definitely was going to cry. "No! No! I mean in a good way! Gah, I'm bad with words at the best of times – you can't expect me to be good while you're being so sexy!"

"Sexy?" Levy murmured.

"Oh holy crap, yes!" Gajeel shouted crassly. Stop saying 'crap'! He stood, towering over her and embraced her against him. "I mean, in better words, you're the sexiest little thing I ever saw. Now stop being so shy and come here!"

"B-be gentle!" She whispered urgently.

"Gihi! Shrimp, you don't get 'gentle' with me!" Despite his words, he picked her up off of the ground and kissed her. "However, I promised to never hurt you again. I'll look after you."

**===][===**

Lucy was bright and early to the guild the next morning, eager for gossip. She hoped that the clothes they had bought had fulfilled Levy's needs. She had to know! She sat at the bar and watched the door like a child waiting for Santa to come down the chimney.

She waited and waited, and eventually Gajeel sauntered in, Lily perched on his shoulder. You had to know Gajeel to see past his stoic defences, but there was a slight spring in his step. Yes! Mission accomplished, Levy-chan! Levy-chan? Lucy waited, but Levy still hadn't come.

"Oi, Bunny girl, where's Shorty?" Gajeel asked.

"Wasn't she with you?" Lucy asked with confusion.

"Well yeah, but she left really early saying that she wanted to talk to you about something." He looked around, clearly seeing the person missing. He shrugged. "Guess she decided to head home and change first or something."

"Guess so." Lucy smirked suddenly in a very knowing way and Gajeel blushed and made an excuse to leave. What a big softy after all. She turned back to her drink and noticed a little envelope next to her with her name on the front in fancy writing. Huh? Where had that come from? She picked it up and opened it. Her blood ran cold.

_I have your little blue-haired friend. If you want to see her alive again, then come to the Denesi lookout. Come alone and tell no one or she dies._

Lucy didn't even stop to think, merely hurried out of the guild hall.

**===][===**

Denesi lookout was a little plaza on a high cliff that overlooked the city. It was a common place for couples to come and spend time in peace. Lucy frantically looked around. Where was she? She heard footsteps, the hard clack of stiletto heels and span to face her assailant. Her blood froze in abject fear.

Sabretooth's Minerva.

"Hello Blondie, remember me?" She purred.

"I.. I… where's Levy-chan?"

"Oh? Are you referring to this worthless runt?" Minerva waved a hand and a space appeared behind her, containing Levy hung in a crucifix position. Lucy gasped to see the plethora of wounds that she'd picked up. "Well, I was bored waiting for you. So I had to entertain myself."

"Lu-chan… I'm sorry…" Levy murmured, her eyes shadowed.

"In this space I'm constantly draining her magic. It must be excruciating."

"Why are you doing this, you psychotic bitch!?" Lucy screamed.

"Why?" Murder flashed in Minerva's eyes. "My guild has lost all standing. So much so that those weaklings beneath me wanted to change our guild's direction. Your damn slayers have influenced ours so much that they're prattling on about nakama. I had no place in that guild anymore. So I left and became a freelance agent. Want to know who my first client was?"

Lucy blinked, the pieces falling into place. "Ivan. He paid you as a security measure if all else failed."

"How delightful. A job that I look forward to. Hunting down each fairy one by one and exterminating them. I will thoroughly enjoy this." Minerva waved again and Levy vanished back into the spatial pocket that Minerva made for her. "I wonder which if you two will die first. I look forward to re-acquainting you with pain."

"I am so sick of you bastards always hurting Levy-chan! First Alexander and then Ivan and Lyria. Why hurt someone so innocent? She'd never dream of laying a hand on you!"

"She is a worthless creature then, fit only for the entertainment of the strong."

"You!" Lucy barked. She began to reach for her keys, but they were already in Minerva's hands as before. Damn her spatial manipulation abilities! "I'm not the same as I was before! I can beat you!"

Minerva laughed shrilly. "What can you possibly do without your keys?"

_I remember what you said, King. I don't need them! I can open the gates by myself! But I've only used your key once! I don't think I can open your gate… but I can open others!_ Minerva blinked at the sudden tidal swell of magical power in the wake of Lucy's anger. Standing before Lucy were Leo, Aries and Sagittarius.

"How did you?" Minerva snarled incoherently. She tried to rally her wits. "So, you can hold three gates now? Better, but nowhere near enough."

Lucy ignored her. "First, we rescue Levy-chan!"

"Moshi-moshi! I'll do it in one shot!" Sagittarius readied an arrow and aimed for the space that Levy had been in.

"What are you, fools? She's in a different dimension! You can't just-"

The 'centaur' fired, the arrow streaking out across the ground and disappeared in a flash of light. The magic of the celestial mages was the power to cross worlds. Travelling to a pocket dimension was surprisingly easy. With the arrow opening a small crack, Horologium was able to whisk Levy away in the safety of his cabinet, appearing behind Lucy after doing so.

Face alight with anger, Minerva began to generate powerful explosions around Lucy, but they were met one by one by black wool, Aries expertly guarding against the attack. Loke dashed forward through the maelstrom to engage Minerva in hand to hand. Both their hands glowed as they clashed, Minerva's tomoe warding off Regulus' light.

Sagittarius fired a second arrow, like a grappling hook. Despite the swift movements of the combatants he precisely snagged the key holder and drew it back to Lucy. She didn't hesitate for an instant, fearful that Minerva would remove them again if she had a second's respite.

All the spirit's present vanished in a flash as Lucy regained her power, channelling everything she had through the Regal Key. "**Open the Gate of the Celestial King!**" The sky darkened again as the king emerged behind her. He radiated the same fury as his queen.

"You… you are the woman who hurt my queen during the naval battle. I shall repay that debt a hundred fold."

"Where did Blondie get this much power?" Minerva wondered. "No matter! **Yagdo Rigora!**" A vast god-like being erupted behind her to match the king. "No one can defeat Yaguma's eighteen Gods of battle! No one!"

"**Heavenly Obliteration!**" In a single moment, the king vanquished the powerful figure. Minerva staggered backwards a few steps, amazed at her creation's defeat.

"W-wait!" She screeched. The king did not. Lucy only had about forty seconds left before running out of magic, so he blasted the powerful mage with spell after spell, raining destruction from the stars themselves. Minerva was a tough bitch, but she went down, screaming in rage. How could she lose to such vermin? Perhaps she was delirious, but she could see the aura around Lucy. Not vermin. A queen, with the king to match. Then she fell unconscious.

The king vanished as Lucy's magic collapsed. She hurried over to Levy, who was laying still on the ground. There was so much blood. "Levy-chan! Are you okay?" She wasn;t responding, but Lucy could see her chest rise and fall. She drew the key of Ophiuchus, the key that had started this quest so long ago. He appeared in his human form and knelt, healing Levy. Her eyes fluttered open weakly.

"Please be still. You are still very unwell," Ophiuchus said gently.

"Thank you," she replied quietly.

The serpent bearer smiled. "I remember when we first met. You said that we could be friends. I haven't forgotten that. How someone could offer such a thing to a monster like myself."

"You haven't known Levy-chan very long!" Lucy teased. "She seems to like monsters the most of all!"

"Lu-chan!" Levy huffed, feeling better under the healing magic.

"In fact, I wonder how many of these injuries came from last night!"

"Lu-chan!" Levy wailed. She looked shifty. "A few. B-but, wait! Forget all of that! Did you really just defeat Minerva without taking a scratch without having your keys on you!?"

"I guess so…"

"Our queen is truly amazing," Ophiuchus marvelled. "You have reunited me with my kin and become the strongest of your kind. I am indebted to you. Both of you, in fact. I hope that I can look forward to seeing many more adventures. But for now, our Queen is tired. I must retire and you should rest. Farewell."

As he vanished, both girls stood again. Levy looked like she was about to apologize for being a burden, so Lucy pre-emptively hugged her tight.

"I'm so glad that you're safe," she said quietly. "Don't think stupid things."

"I remember telling you not to compare yourself to Minerva's strength in the past. It seems like I was completely wrong to do so. You're amazing, Lu-chan." Levy grinned. "Many more adventures, huh? Seems like you'll just keep on getting stronger!"

"Maybe. But those are stories for another day."


End file.
